


Eternally Bound

by Scarlett_sama



Series: The Castle of Lion's Dreauxee [6]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Racism, Assholish Aliens, Badass Riyluxmn, Dreauxee Ceremony Band Proposal, Dreauxee Ceremony Bands, Dreauxee Warrior Transformation, Everyone finally gets to head home, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra/Dreauxee Riyluxmn, Hunk is such a great friend is all this, Hurt Keith (Voltron), Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith finds it funny, Kolivan is a great godfather, Kolivan is one pissed off godfather, Lady Veritale loves her long lost grandchild, Lotor isn't actually an asshole, M/M, Made up alien species - Freeform, Mate Seperation, Mates, OC Dreauxee Characters, Our adorable Riyluxmn gets a huge Powerup!, Pidge and Hunk deserve a medal after all this is over, Pidge and Hunk really do deserve medals for this crap, Protective Lance (Voltron), Sand Dreauxee Goddess, Seperation Sickness, She's had enough of her teammates getting hurt, Shiro and Allura are too blind to see the damage they've done, Sick Characters, Sick Keith (Voltron), Sick Lance (Voltron), Strained Mate Bond, Warrior Dreauxee Riyluxmn, m/m/m relationship, protective pidge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-30
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-08 20:07:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 44,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12872046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_sama/pseuds/Scarlett_sama
Summary: When Allura had ordered no intimate contact and their separation the princess meant it. No sooner after Keith spoke, the three of them were pulled apart from one another and never saw each other again during the half breeds stay. Their distance from one another and it's effects starting to take hold and while Riyluxmn knew this would happen he didn't think it'd reach this degree. Not when the itch, heat, and haze felt like it was shredding him to pieces and nothing except for his mates could quell it, but that's the least of his worries. No, the separation sickness is bad, but when Lance crashes his lion onto his home planet of Terillix and Keith's ship is stranded in an asteroid field two star systems over nothing could be worse. Not when they're all separated and dying, too far away from each other to ease their suffering, and Allura and Shiro are no help at all. No, it's up to Pidge and Hunk to come to their rescue and they more than deliver.





	1. Separation Sickness

When Allura ordered no intimate contact and their separation the princess had meant it. No sooner after Keith spoke, Lotor dragged Lux from the room in a sobbing mess and the half breed didn’t see him again during his stay at the castle. Lance the next to be taken from him, carefully carried away by Hunk via the Alteans command, before he was left alone and bare without his mates at his side. The others looking at him in pity, because Keith wouldn’t doubt for a moment he didn’t look heartbroken, as the princess stood taller and cleared her throat. 

 

“You’ll be piloting the red lion till Lance can resume his duties, Keith.” Came the calm order, the Blade never gifting her a reply in return. “When he’s well again you’ll return to the Blade.” 

 

The silence after was agonizing, but Keith couldn’t find it in him to shatter it. Not when his entire body felt heavy and his chest ached, and it hurt to breathe. No, he just stared at the composed woman and turned and left. Shiro calling out his name behind him as the half breed dragged his feet through the halls with no destination in mind. His thoughts too far gone and his brain numb while he moved on autopilot. 

 

Keith’s steps taking him across the castle and to the Red Lions hangar. The twin doors sliding open for him and the lights coming to life over his head as he felt Red nudge against his mind and the gigantic beast moved. The mechanical hunter laying down on his belly and resting his paws on either side of Keith before his jaw opened. The door to the cockpit hissing open as the half breed bit his lower lip and climbed inside. His legs wobbling till he stumbled into the pilot seat and broke down. 

 

The rush of emotions slamming into him like a tidal wave and sending him into tears in seconds. Keith yanking his legs against his chest and biting back every sob and gasp gripping at his throat. His Lions jaw snapping shut, and door locking, before his protective partner moved to curl up against the far wall of his hangar and point his back to the door. Reds quintessence gently cradling him in a soothing hug as Keith heaved out a sob and shook. The protective heat around him heightening in protection while Keith sunk his teeth into his bottom lip. 

 

“She separated us, Red.” Keith wobbled out. The thunderous yowling roar that left his lion in response had to have shaken the entire castle if the communication lines popping up on his dashboard were any clue. “And I failed them…I failed my mates.” 

 

The gentle, soothing, nuzzle against his mind did nothing to soothe him. The touch only reminding of him of his currently distressed mates. Of how much pain they had to be in without each other. 

 

“What was I even doing?” Keith bit out, fingers tightening around his legs in frustration. “Lux was fighting Allura for us and I just stood there. It’s supposed to be my job to protect them, not the other way around. What kind of part Galra am I if I can’t defend them? I should’ve stood up for them. I should’ve helped Lance off the floor and cradled him in my arms and fought back. I should’ve helped Lux fight off Lotor and walked out of the room with my mates. I shouldn’t have just stood there and watched. I shouldn’t have held Lance back. I sh-should’ve taken th-them away, b-back to the Blade-”

 

The deep heated quintessence burned through his body and Keith’s head shot up. Wet violet eyes settling on his dashboard as his fingers tightened around his pants and he swallowed. 

 

Kolivan. 

 

His mates protective godfather could fix this in an instant. The moment Keith even spoke a sentence into their dilemma he had no doubt in his mind that the Galra male would break into the castle himself to protect his charges well-being. He’d gather every blade to mount a rescue operation to not only extract the Dreauxee, but Lance as well. Just to keep Lux’s mind and body in one piece. The man would sacrifice anything for Keith’s hybrid mate and wouldn’t regret a single decision. All Keith had to do was call him-...no. 

 

No. Keith couldn’t call him now. Not so soon after Allura’s declaration. Not so soon after separating them. She’d be expecting it. She probably already had Pidge block all calls out to the Blade in anticipation for this. For the outcome that Keith would come to this conclusion, and even if she didn’t he couldn’t risk it. Not so soon after. 

 

As much as he wanted to reunite them all as soon as possible it’d only make the team dynamic worse and put further strain on his mates. He had to let Allura believe she won the fight for a little while, hoping Lux and Lance could hold out for him, till he could head back to The Blade and tell Kolivan and the others. Only then could he come back to reunite them and put everything in its rightful place. He just had to wait. 

 

“Red.” The deep purr that reached him had him reaching out and placing his hands against the dashboard with shaking fingers. “You…you have to promise me the moment Lance steps back in you’ll keep him in one piece for me.” 

 

The concerned purr that vibrated through him had him smiling as he tightened his fingers on the panel. 

 

“Lance, he’s going to blame himself for all this. He’s going to fall apart and make mistakes and doubt himself. He’s going to be a wreck and barely be all together.” A light laugh left him as he wiped at his eyes. “He won’t listen to what anyone tells him because he’s so thick headed, and he doesn’t have any confidence in himself, but I need you to keep him together for me. Try and build him back up for me, let him know how strong he is, how right he was, how this isn’t his fault. Just till I can get us help. When I leave I’ll book it to the Blade and get Kolivan. I won’t let them suffer anymore than they need to. I’ll rip through anyone that tries to keep us apart.”

 

A warm, comforting, deep heat that filled him had him squeezing his eyes shut and curling up in his seat. A smile spreading across his face as he let his body relax and left his partners quintessence flow through him, calm him. 

 

“And Lux, too. His species can telepathically talk to his pack members and you're connected to Lance and me. Use us to try and keep him together.” Keith’s fingers dug into the panel and the heat surrounding him burned across his skin. “He’s going to be in so much pain without us. I don’t know how long he’ll last, but please...please try and save him for us. We can’t survive without him and he can’t survive without us beside him. Try and keep him safe for us.”

 

The heat around him calmed and the deep, promising, purr that vibrated through him had the Blade fully relaxing. His partners essence surrounding him in a protective blanket, protecting him from his pain, and relaxing his body to pull him into a peaceful sleep. One that would last till he was needed. 

 

“Keep my mate’s safe, boy.”

 

_ I’ll protect them with my life, Keith. _

* * *

 

“Do you need anything, Riyluxmn?”

 

The exiled prince’s words bounced across the random room he had chosen and all the Dreauxee could do was lay across the mattress he had been set on and stare at the wall. The man's words laughable. 

 

He needed his mates. 

 

“Any extra clothes, personal effects?”

 

His mates. 

 

“A book.”

 

The moment the male stepped toward him his body reacted in defense and his scales shifted and spiked out. The needles tearing the sheets and the ripping of fabric startling the man as he stumbled back, arms up in defense, till he realized what happened and stared at him. The silence weeping between them while the ex-prince lowered his defense. His dark eyes watching him as the hybrids scales wiggled on their own and slowly, eerily, retracted back into his tail. The grinding and scraping teeth grating till they settled. 

 

“For the record, I believe the princess is out of line on this matter.” Lotor spoke, his gaze still on the Dreauxee even when he got no response. “Your species may be rare, but if one looked hard enough finding information about you is easy. It’s pathetic and sad to know she has no knowledge about you. If she did she wouldn’t have done this. You-”

 

“Return my mates or get out.” Riyluxmn’s voice came out dead and quiet. The man falling silent as he listened and watched him. 

 

“Would clothing with your mates scents suffice?” He asked, no doubt hoping it would help ease his suffering. 

 

“No.”

 

It’d only make it worse. Being able to smell his mates, but not feel their touch, their body heat, their heartbeats. His mind and body would know the difference, he knew that deep down in his heart. Lance’s cold fingers, Keith’s hotter than normal body temperature, Lance’s long limbs, Keith’s tight hugs. A piece of clothing couldn’t soothe his pain when he knew his mates inside and out. It’d only make it harder, more tortuous. His body already ached, a slight itch starting under the surface of his skin, his instincts teetering toward the edge. He need physical contact, he needed their voices, their scents, their heat. He needed them.  

 

“Riyluxmn.” Slowly dual colored eyes shifted to look at Lotor. The exiled prince now standing at the end of the bed and watching him, mostly likely waiting for him to focus back on reality. “How bad will it become?”

 

How bad?...oh, right. The man may know about his species, but he wasn’t just a Dreauxee. He had Galra blood, and while his appearance gave it away, and Lotor probably knew he was part Galra, he didn’t know the implications both sides of his DNA created for him and his mates. Their relationship wasn’t normal by Galra or Dreauxee standards. Both species would find them abominations. 

 

“Allura signed our death warrant.” Riyluxmn whispered. Eyes falling to the sheets and the half Galran male quietly listening. “We were predestined for each other by the universe, made to be inseparable and loyal to one another. We’re bound together by something deeper than any beings understanding and can’t survive long enough without one of the others. Without one or the entire whole I’m bound to waste away and take them with me.”

 

“I’m talking to Allura.” Lotor growled out the next moment, pure rage in his eyes and his fingers clenched into fists at his side. “She-”

 

“Won’t listen.” Riyluxmn interrupted, gaze moving away from the man. “Why do you think I fought so hard the first time? And the second? I could’ve explained but she wouldn’t believe me. There’s no proof, no other Dreauxee to back up my rare DNA’s side of the issue. She won’t listen to reason till it’s too late or we’re all dead.”

 

Silence followed, the man's eyes on him before he moved toward the door to the room and stopped just in front of it. 

 

“How long will you be able to last?”

 

“...I don’t know.”

 

After the door clicked behind the exiled prince. He didn’t see Lotor again.

* * *

 

“Come on, Lance. Shhh, don’t cry,” Hunk’s voice was gentle as he gently cradled the Cuban boy in his arms and rubbed his back. His large body dwarfing his curled up form as he sobbed and heaved into his best friends shirt. “You’ll make me cry.”

 

While the yellow Paladin’s comment would’ve usually had him laughing or rolling his eyes he couldn’t find it in him to do either. Not with the deep ache throughout his entire body, a reminder of last night, and the tears that wouldn’t stop. This was all his fault. 

 

“Lance…” His best friends large hands settled on his sore shoulders and the concern in his tone only urged his sobs onwards. “Oh, Lance…” 

 

Slowly his best friend wrapped his arms around him and pulled him into a warm hug. The touch easing a little of his pain, till it reminded him of when he woke up this morning between Keith and Riy. Of being tangled up between the pair, dressed and warm, and his mates pressed against him. Barely a single bit of space between them, looks of love on their faces when he had woken and sleepily blinked up at them. Tender kisses placed against his cheeks and arms wrapping around him. He hadn’t felt so at home till right then, his family back on earth always winning over till that very moment, and he remembered fighting back tears in favor of smiling lovingly back and sending them the message that way. To tell them how much he loved them and how much they meant to him. Now it just hurt. Now it felt like a guard had tackled him to the ground, gun blasted through his armor, and claws had ripped through his chest to yank out his heart. The pain was excruciating. 

 

“Is it really that bad, Lance?” Hunk quietly asked, his voice wobbling when the Cuban boy nodded. The arms around him tightening. “C-Can you make it to two weeks?”

 

It shouldn’t be a question on whether he’d make it, it was Riy. Lance could curl up in bed for two weeks and sob and cry his heart out till he couldn’t speak or move or even eat and he’d survive. It was Riy that wouldn’t make it, the Red Paladin knew that deep down in his gut. Kolivan always stressed how fragile Riy was and Lance had witnessed it, felt it, heard it, but when Allura threw down her orders and he looked at his little mate he had almost jumped out of the chair to pull the Dreauxee into his arms. With just words alone Riy had looked so broken, so beaten, and if words could do that the separation would kill him. 

 

Lance didn’t know how bad or how fast Riy would suffer without them. Whether it’d be quick and painless, slow and excruciating, or a frightful in between, but he did know once Riyluxmn’s heart stopped so would his. The three of them had felt so close to each other this morning, mind, body and soul, that Lance couldn’t differentiate where one of them started and ended. They were connected on a level deeper than he could wrap his head around, but his body could comprehend. He was in so much pain. 

 

“R-Riy won’t.” Lance finally managed to wobble out, warm hands rubbing up and down his back again. “H-He needs us, H-Hunk. Y-You have no i-idea…”

 

“Can you give me an idea? I know nothing about him.” Hunk carefully asked, his tone and touches gentle. “You guys never told us about him. I’ve always been curious, but I’ve been afraid to ask. Maybe if I know I can help a little, try and make it more bearable.”

 

No “I’ll change Allura’s mind”’s or “I’ll fix this”’s. If Hunk tried to help them, bring them back together, Allura would be furious and only make the situation worse. They both knew that, and with the tight hold around him Lance knew his best friend would tear apart just about anyone and everything to fix this, but he’d never mess with the princess. She was the tie breaker, they all knew that, she was a strong and determined woman and nothing could sway her till everything hit the fan and smashed right back in her face. She’d only realize her mistake when it was too late and all they could do was hope they could make it barrable, not better. They’d have to put everything they had into blink luck and false hope. 

 

“I can do that.” Lance shakily spoke, wiping at his eyes and sniffling. His best friends brown eyes on him in concern and slight relief. “M-Might distract me.”

 

The instant nod told the Red Paladin that had been his best friend's intention in the first place, but Lance couldn’t find it in him to care. Coran, and apparently Lotor from his expression back in the dining hall, were the only ones with knowledge about Riy and maybe if he told Hunk he could really help his little mate. Find a way to make this more bearable for him. Make it so he survived the next two weeks and stayed whole by the end of it. Kept Riy sane. He had looked so broken. There had to be something they could do. 

 

“Wh-where do you want me to start?” Lance asked, teeth playing with his bottom lip while the hands on his back kept up the warm circles against the aches and pains. The touch surprisingly dulling them. “There’s a lot and it gets complicated.”

 

“How about where his Dreauxee side comes from?” Came the careful inquiry, his best friend a little unsure. “They have a home planet right?”

 

A watery smile spread across the Cuban boy’s face as he nodded and wrapped his arms around his best friend. Hunk returning the hug as he buried his face into the blanket on the lanky teens shoulder. He didn't just want the important details. His best friend wanted every little thing, every quirk and kink and instinct that made up Riyluxmn. Hunk was really set on making sure they made it out of this in one piece and that they were in the least amount of pain possible. He was set on making sure they lived. 

 

“Th-The Dreauxee live on a planet called T-Terillix, which is half d-desert and half forest, and they built their h-homes in The Sands of Veritale…”

* * *

 

Riyluxmn didn’t know how long he laid motionless on the bed for. He remembered Lotor leaving, but after that everything was a blur between the ache covering his body and the itch under his skin. It could’ve been minutes, hours, or days, but he did know he fell asleep at one point. His job calling to him no matter the agony he was in and he fulfilled his duties. He passed information along and built connection lines and broke them without even registering he was doing it. His mind on autopilot in his hazed state till he woke up next and found he wasn’t on the bed anymore.

 

Instead he was laying on the cold floor, curled up in the furthest corner from the door, and the shredded blanket was tangled around him. How he got there was a mystery to him, whether he somehow moved in his sleep or someone else did it for him, all he knew was I didn’t help his condition. It didn’t get rid of the haze, the ache, or the itch. No, those were worse now. Sometime in his sleep they had gotten worse, the ache a dull throb, the haze clouding his thoughts in a meerky filter, and the itch increasing. It was bearable still, but uncomfortable and he stayed like that. Laying on the floor and staring off unaware of his surroundings but still registering bits and pieces. 

 

Of voices and noises and the clattering of dishware. Of the smell of food and blurs of color, but never a crisp clear picture or vibrant loud sound. No, not till he had fallen asleep the second time and woke up to find a blurry Hunk sitting a few feet from him, a tray in the Paladins lap and a weak smile on his face. And when he opened his eyes his mates best friend seemed to move in surprise and shuffle for the food in his lap. 

 

“Riy-mn...ake!” The male's voice came to him from what felt like underwater, choppy and broken and unclear, but the concern on his face and in his tone was real. “You’ve...eep….days…lux..n?”

 

Riyluxmn attempted to make a sound or at least mutter out the Paladins name, but between the disorienting haze and the ache through his body his hearing was shot and he was lucky if any noise came out. Yet when the form in front of him stilled it seemed he made some kind of noise, and based on the silence Hunk didn’t think it was good. Not when a warm sensation touched his cheek and his body reacted in defense. His scales sharpening, shredding the blanket around him further, and never once getting a jolt or cry of alarm from his mates friend. No, the male kept touching him, stroking the sore skin of his cheek and still trying to talk to him. 

 

“You...eep...ays...ve...be...sl...for...d.” Hunk’s voice still sounded like it was underwater, but even if he tried to focus he couldn’t. “En...a...two…”

 

Wait a tick. W-was he repeating the same thing over and over again?

 

“You…” Hunk continued, never once stopping as the Dreauxee tried to get his fried brain to function and translate, the male in front of him patient. 

 

_ You’ve been asleep for two days. _

 

After what felt like hours he put it together. The jumbled and broken sounds and syllables forming the small sentence that made his chest ache more. Only two days? It felt like so much longer. The pain made it feel longer and now the reality was crushing him. Two days and he felt like this?  What would day four bring? Seven? Could he even make it to seven?

 

Yet the hybrid still managed a nod, his mates best friend lighting up when he realized the Dreauxee finally understood and showed him the food on the tray...right, food. He needed to eat. Had he eaten anything recently? Did he even remember eating? Had he eaten anything since he was put in here? The questions piled up as the hybrid attempted to push himself up so he could follow the Paladins request, but he quickly hit a snag in his plan. 

 

The moment he tried to push himself up his hands slid out from under him and his chin smashed against the floor. The impact sparking pain through him before Hunk was hovering over him and trying to keep him still, garbled words yelling out to him as he struggled and tried to blink his vision clear, tried to strain for some kind of vibrant sound, tried to grasp anything but the pain. It hurt. it hurt so bad. Why did smacking his skin hurt so bad? Why did it feel like he was in fire?

 

H-He was scared. He wanted his mates. He didn’t want the pain anymore. He wanted Lance and Keith and he wanted to curl up in between them and feel their touch again. He needed his mates. It hurt so bad. 

 

_ Please, let me in! _

 

The sudden, clear, deep growl vibrated through him like a shock to his system. His entire body seizing up for a few seconds, before he felt the presence pressing against his mind in a panicked heat. The new entity warm and almost soothing to his tortured mind as he tried to shove it away in fear and found it wouldn’t budge. Instead it held firm and constant and wouldn’t move. It taking agonizing moments between his brain trying to process everything and Hunk calling for him to realize who the heat was. 

 

The Red Lion. 

 

_ Let me in, cub.  _

 

The voice was softer, but still deep and warm. And as frightening as a lion of Voltron calling out to him was he knew this one in particular wouldn’t harm him. The red lion was Keith’s old partner and Lance’s new one. His mates piloted the amazing machine and bonded with the beast, fighting beside it and saving lives while the lion protected theirs. He couldn’t be afraid of it’s much as he wanted, not when it had kept his mates safe this whole time. 

 

So when he lowered his walls to let the entity in the last thing he expected was the rush of heat to fill his body. A breathless gasp reaching his ears as he placed a shaking hand on his chest and the warmth raced through his body in an instant. The sudden touch almost too painful till everything was suddenly crisp and clear and he was blinking up at a distressed Hunk holding onto his shoulders and holding back tears of worry. The itch and haze and pain barely there. 

 

_ Breath easy, cub. I’ve got you.  _

 

“R-Riyluxmn?” Hunks shaky voice was crystal clear in his ears as the hybrid gave him a small smile. “A-Are you okay? You suddenly slipped and you were screaming and-”

 

“I-I’ll be okay.” His voice was raspy and weak, but the look of relief on the Paladin's face put them both at ease. “S-Still in a little pain, but I’ll manage.”

 

“What happened? Why were you in so much pain?” Hunk asked in concern as Riyluxmn made to sit up and the larger man was instantly helping him rest against the wall. “I didn’t think you hit the floor that hard.”

 

“Neither did I, but it hurt really bad.” The Dreauxee’s form shivered against his will from the reminder and his mates best friend worried his bottom lip. 

 

“Have you been in pain this entire time?”

 

“It was barely there in the beginning, but yes.” His answer didn’t make the concern on the Paladin's face waver, but when dual colored eyes noticed his shirt was torn his eyes widened in panic. “I-I hurt you…”

 

Dark eyes blinked at him in confusion before Hunk looked down at his torn shirt sleeve and to the cuts against his skin. At least a dozen three inch slices in his flesh, oozing blood down his arm from what had to have been from the Dreauxee’s scales, as the hybrid quickly grabbed the shredded blanket around himself and shoved it against the others arm. The fabric still tangled around him, and pulling at his tail uncomfortably, but the pressure against the wound was what was needed most and when the fabric connected it sopt up the fluid instantly. The red liquid seeping through and onto the Dreauxee’s skin as he applied pressure and Hunk stared at him in surprise and shock. The male looking him over, before a sad look took over his face and a gentle hand was placed on his. 

 

“It’s alright, Riyluxmn, they’re just a few scratches. I’m more worried about you.” The Paladin gently spoke, dual colored eyes shifting toward him in confusion. “You’ve been asleep for two days straight and you haven’t eaten. You weren’t even coherent when I came in and I spent fifteen minutes talking to you till you understood.”

 

Slowly the hybrids fingers tightened in his piss poor excuse for bandages and bit his lower lip. 

 

“And your wings haven’t been manifested this entire time. Lance said you almost always have them out.” At the mention of his mate his eyes snapped up toward the Paladin and Hunk gave him a warm smile. “He told me all about you, you know. I thought it’d be a good way to calm him down and distract him two days ago, and I was right, but it took nearly two days to explain everything. Just when he thought he told me everything he’d think of something else. I don’t think he left out a single detail.”

 

Tears beaded up in the Dreauxee’s eyes and the male in front of him gently took the hybrids hands away from his arm and held them in his large palms. 

 

“And I listened to every word and did my best to memorize it all so I can help you, since Lance and Keith can’t.” Hunk continued to explain, a soft sniffle leaving the smaller and a tears rolling down his face. “Lance was so scared and upset when I got him back to your room, he wouldn’t stop crying, and he was so scared for you. He blames himself, I know it, but I promised him I’d do my best to help you. So we’ll get through this together and get you back to Lance and Keith.”

 

A shaky nod left the hybrid before he was pulled into the kind man's arms and wrapped in a hug. The touch gentle and warm and a little soothing on his skin as he let out a sob and curled up against him. His entire body shaking, till the wings on his back suddenly flew off his skin and manifested behind him. A quiet ‘whoa!’ gasped next to the smaller’s ear, before gentle fingers rubbed his back and carefully untangled the blanket from around him. The tearing of fabric the only sound between them besides the Riyluxmn’s sniffles and sobs, till he pulled away from the Paladin and wiped at his eyes. 

 

“Do you feel a little better now?” Hunk gently asked, his hands resting on the teens shoulders while he nodded. “That’s good. Do you think you can eat a little? I made all your favorite foods.”

 

The Paladin let go of him to grab the tray beside him and set it in his lap, presenting the nicely set plates and dishes proudly. Each of them indeed Riyluxmn’s favorite dishes from the male’s collection of recipes and making his stomach rumble. A soft blush dusting his cheeks when Hunk gave him a big smile and gestured to the tray. 

 

“Go ahead. Just don’t eat too fast.” He encouraged, before the Dreauxee gently picked up the utensil on the tray and dug in. The first bite almost bringing the rest of the tears in his eyes down his cheeks as he happily ate and the other watched him. “Hey, a…are Keith, Lance and you really bound together?”

 

In response the Dreauxee halted the sporkful of goop toward his lips and slowly shut his mouth. The utensil being set in the bowl as he nodded. 

 

“And it’s not normal by Dreauxee or Galra standards.” Riyluxmn whispered, eyes focused on the tray. “Galra have predestined mate’s and are loyal and protective of their significant other. Dreauxee pick a mate for life and have deep connections with them, but they can survive if their mate dies and they’re strong enough. I…I’m an abomination to both species.”

 

“You're not a-”

 

“I’m going to be the reason Keith and Lance die after I’m gone. It’s because of my mixed blood that our relationship is so extreme. I-I’m the problem.” A sniffle left him as he wiped at his eyes and Hunk looked at him in worry, taking his free hand. “I’ve been causing problems for everyone left and right, but I only wanted to make them happy. That’s my job, because I can’t fight or protect myself. I’m a useless being on the battlefield and I’m just a walking radio.”

 

A soft chuckle left the male in front of him and Riyluxmn was shifting his gaze up toward him in confusion. Hunk blushing and waving a hand to dismiss the noise while he squeezed the Dreauxee’s hand. 

 

“Sorry, I didn’t think you knew what a radio was, but I bet Lance told you.” A little nod left the hybrid, before the castle cook was giving him a gentle smile. “And you’re not an abomination, Riyluxmn. Sure your behavior when Keith left seemed annoying, but after Lance told me everything I felt really horrible. I didn’t know you needed them that badly and when I did I realized how amazing this thing you have with them is. They were born for you and because of that my best friend gets to have two amazing people who will be by his side for the rest of his life. 

 

They’ll be there to pick him up when he’s feeling down or give him encouragement when he needs it. You guys get to fill up his lonely moments and accept his horrible pickup lines and his gifts he spends nearly an hour choosing. And you guys make him smile everyday and make the pain of missing his family back on earth hurt just a little less. You guys give him a reason to fight and to make it back to the castle and…and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy till he had you guys.”

 

Tears started to fill the Paladins eyes and he gave him a small smile. 

 

“He’s always been trying to find that one perfect person for him and I know it always hurt when those alien girls turned him down. He wanted someone who could make him feel like he was back home and Keith and you do that. You give him everything he’s ever wanted and I didn’t realize it till he told me about you. He loves you, Riyluxmn, so much more than you could believe. So don’t say such horrible things about yourself. Lance loves you the way you are.”

 

A heavy sniffle left the Dreauxee before he tackled Hunk into a hug and curled up against him. The tray of food clattering to the floor beside him and the Paladins arms wrapping around him. The touch warm and gentle, and while it wasn’t Keith’s tight hugs or Lance’s long-armed squeezes, it felt good against his body. To feel some kind of contact after not having anything for two days. Sure it didn’t dispel the dull pain the Red Lion has reduced his ailments to, but it was something he missed and he was grateful for it. 

 

“Th-Thank you, Hunk.” Riyluxmn shakily spoke, fingers tightening in the Paladins shirt. “Thank you so much.”

 

“Your welcome, Riyluxmn.” Came the reply, till they separated and the male picked up the tray of food and held it up to him again with a smile. “Now let’s fill your stomach so you don’t get too bad too fast!”

 

A light laugh led the hybrid as he took the tray and set it in his lap. The Dreauxee starting to eat again, before he paused and looked up at the other. 

 

“Oh yeah, Hunk?” A hum was his only response while the smaller dug back into his food. “Next time you see Lance can you help him into a bathtub and use that bath solution we made on it? It’ll speed up his healing process.”

 

A blank look fell on the man's face, no doubt trying to hold back an uncomfortable expression, before he nodded and blushed. The yellow Paladin most likely remembering the state his best friend was in. 

 

“Of course, I can do that Riyluxmn. Do I need to do anything special?” The hybrid gave him a shake of the head and shoveled his mouth full. “Alright, if it’ll get Lance out of bed and back in his Lion then- Hey! Don’t eat so fast! Riyluxmn!”

* * *

 

A peaceful silence filled the air as Lance stared off into space and leaned against the edge of the bathtub. The Cuban boy sitting shoulder deep in Riy’s special healing solution and hating every minute of it.

 

It was the third day without Keith and Riy, and Lance didn’t feel any better than he did from day one. His body still ached, he couldn’t walk without help, he could barely eat, and the deep longing for his other thirds kept him awake at night. Yes, he settled on thirds. There were three of them and halves sounded stupid. Nevertheless there was a silver lining in all this, Hunk. 

 

His best friend had been true to his word since day one. He listened to everything that spilled out of Lance’s mouth about Riy, the good, the bad, the embarrassing, and delivered. No sooner did he leave to go see his small mate yesterday did he come back that night and assure Lance that Riy was feeling a bit better now, and this morning he offered to help Lance into the tub of Riy’s special soap to help him heal. 

 

Of course while Lance wanted to get rid of the aches and pains, he wasn’t happy to be in the tub period. Sitting in the special water was going to heal him faster and get him out in his Lion faster, sending Keith further away from them and the thought tore a hole in the Cubans chest. He already couldn’t handle the fact his mates were so close but he couldn’t see them, and when Keith would leave he didn’t want to know what he’d think or feel then. He expected the pain would increase or he’d just feel more depressed, but really he was worried about Riy. Hunk told him the hybrid was bad when he first visited him and he only got better throughout the time his best friend was there, which meant the separation was swiftly killing his mate. For two days to pass and have Riy so bad off it’d be a swift death, probably by day five or six, and Lance was scared. 

 

Scared for Riy, who was in so much pain. Scared for Keith, who he hadn’t heard a word about, and scared about what would happen when Riy did die on them. How quick would it be? How would they die? Would they just fall over dead? Or would it be like some of those movies where they died in their sleep or had a heart attack and died that way? Would they have any warning? Would they hear Riy’s voice one last time before he was gone? God, he was so scared and it was all his fault they ended up in this mess. 

 

If he hadn’t fallen for his kinks and asked Riy for the best night of his life they wouldn’t be in this mess. If he hadn’t been so weak and disgusting they’d be curled up on the couch today and get to wish Keith off back to The Blade in smiles and hugs. Not separated from one another and suffering till they met their untimely deaths. If he wasn’t so worthless to his mates they’d be happy right now. It was all his fault. He did this to them. He sent them off to their deaths. 

 

A heavy sob ripped through the silence as Lance slapped a hand over his mouth and bit his lower lip. Tears overflowing and trailing down his cheeks as he curled into a ball in the tub and sobbed. His entire body shaking and every noise bouncing against the walls of the bathroom while he broke down. This episode not his first, and far from his last, as the pain increased and he wished he could just end all of his. To stop the agony and suffering and save himself and his mates, to make sure they couldn't feel this pain anymore and neither could he. 

 

It was so selfish, wishing he could end his life to escape the pain, taking Keith and Riy down with him without remorse, but he couldn’t help it. Every time he wanted something, tried to fix something, it turned on its head and he only made everything ten times worse. There was a reason he couldn’t make fighter pilot without Keith dropping out and there was a reason Blue abandoned him and Red took him in. He was useless and worthless and he couldn’t do anything but shoot a moving target in a battle. Besides that he couldn’t do shit and he was nothing more than a backup support character on the team. He had no meaning or place in the universe beside being at his mates sides and he quiznacked that up royally. If they ever made it through this how was he ever going to look them in the eye?

 

Especially when they knew he was the reason they were slowly dying and if he kept his mouth shut none of this wouldn’t have happened. He couldn’t do anything right. 

 

“Lance?” Hunk’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he quickly looked up to find his best friend standing in the middle of the bathroom and looking at him in concern. A tray of food in his hands and a frown on his face. “Is everything alright?”

 

“Y-Yeah, just got a little soap in my eye.” He quickly lied, wiping at his eye and looking toward the bubbles covering the surface of the water as he friend walked over. 

 

“Alright, well I brought lunch.” His best friend hesitantly spoke, gesturing to the food. “I don’t know if you're very hungry, but Riyluxmn liked it. He said it was a little spicy though.”

 

“How is he?” 

 

In an instant dark eyes snapped up to meet his blue and he received a small smile. 

 

“He’s as alright as he can be. The pain isn’t bad and he can manage, he ate quite a lot too, and he didn’t flinch when I touched him like last time. Scales stayed down and he had his wings out when I came in. He even gave me a little smile.”

 

So Riy was alright for now, which meant something foreign was helping the hybrid cope because he knew for a fact that this wasn’t normal. Keith and him knew vaguely what would happen with their separation and Riy was the one who was taking the blunt force of the pain, which meant he should be in agony right now. Not like, Lance wasn’t happy Riy was feeling alright! Don’t get him wrong, he was glad the Dreauxee wasn’t in too much pain! But it didn’t sound right coming from Hunk’s mouth. Someone had to have done something to protect Riy and he was grateful to them, but he didn’t know how long it’d last or what would happen when their help stopped. Would the sudden rush of pain and agony kill their mate in an instant?

 

“He ate almost all his lunch too.” Hunk continued, before pointing to a dish that looked like spaghetti but really didn’t. It was purple with some kind of green sauce on it and had yellow...was that meatballs? And he really hoped the orange flakes were supposed to be shredded cheese, or an imitation to it. “He said you’d probably like this dish.”

 

And apparently they talked about him, great. Now his best friend knew this situation was all his fault and Riy probably blamed him for it. 

 

“Thanks, Hunk. It looks good.”

 

A happy nod left his fellow Paladin as he set the tray on the table he had set up by the tub earlier and beamed at him. Lance sending him a small smile in return, before he got a stern expression, a finger pointing to his food, and a ‘you better eat something’ look, before Hunk left the bathroom and let me be. The door sliding and clicking behind him as watery blue eyes shifted to the tray and his stomach lurched unpleasantly. 

 

He really didn’t feel like eating, let alone moving to reach toward the tray. He felt so tired and sore and beat. He just wanted to go back in bed and sleep where it was warm and comfortable and smelled like Keith and Riy. Where the leftover scents of his mates lingered in the room that he could curl up in and use to pretend they were there, pillows placed on either side of him and leaving him sandwiched between them. A sad, but decently effective way to fake the idea his mates were there beside him if he closed his eyes. It helped him during his nap earlier, but he doubt it’d last long. His brain would catch up with his rouse soon enough and he’d be back to sleepless nights. He really liked the idea of sleeping through this torture better than being awake for it. It hurt less. 

 

Nevertheless, this was all his fault and if they made it through this Lance was never going to ask for another thing from his mates ever again. Not if this was the result. They deserved so much better. They deserved someone better than him.

* * *

Five days. Just like his stay with the Blade his stay at the castle lasted five days before Lance was back on his feet. His mate now able to walk and fight and perform his duties without problem, resulting in Keith’s immediate departure. The half Galra didn’t even get to see the Cuban boy before he left, Shiro the one to escort him to the hangar below the red lion and refuse to let him see Lance.

 

The man he saw as an older brother telling him that no matter how much the team argued with Allura to bend her rules only slightly to let Lance see him off she wouldn’t budge. She was adamant on keeping them separated, in the result one glance would start what she believed was a nightmare to their war plans once more, and all Keith could do was snort in response and shove the gentle hand on his shoulder off. Because if anything Keith knew for certain now that Shiro really didn’t care about them all being separated, he knew that much after they formed Voltron the first time. When their minds were almost one and they all could feel each others emotions and thoughts, and while Red had muted his pain it was still there and he knew the others felt it. He had felt Pidge’s sympathy and Hunks concern for him, while Allura plain out ignored him and Shiro didn’t even bat an eyelash. All he cared about was their progress and that they all made it back to the castle in one piece. Keith couldn’t count how many times he fought tooth and nail in a battle and got a pat on the back from Shrio, telling him he did a good job, but never asked how he was doing...because even with Red’s help he wasn’t doing good. 

 

While his old partner could use his quintessence to mute the agony it only worked when he was close to the lion and his body had needs. He had to shower, use the bathroom, train and eat and he found it difficult to be away from Red too long. The loneliness and pain of his mates being absent returning every time he fell out of his partners range and by day two Keith found himself sprinting to the kitchens to get meals and training inside the hangar just to keep the pain at bay. That was till Matt took pity on him and brought meals to him when he realized why Keith was sprinting down halls and spending time in the Red Lions hangar instead of the rest of the castle. 

 

The man had been so much help to him this entire time, getting him changes of clothes and offering to be his sparring partner when the half breed could only do so many more pushups or he’d go insane. The rebel stepped up to be his support in all this and Keith quickly found out why Lux always went to the man for comfort when Keith and Lance had fought before. Matt was so kind, gentle, and encouraging that he understood why Pidge loved her brother and his mate liked his company. When this was all over Keith was going to gift the rebel one of the best gift baskets he ever made...well he’d probably need Lance’s help with it, but Matt disserved something for getting him to this point. Even if he didn’t have to do it in the first place. 

 

And he had owed Red a nice thorough cleaning last night after dealing with him the past five days. His partner had tried to decline the offer, but Keith had slept in the cockpit of the Red Lion every night since they were separated and ate a few meals in the pilot seat. And while he wasn’t a sloppy person he wanted to show his older partner how much he appreciated his support through this, especially when the beast protected Lux. 

 

When Red had panicked and roared in the hangar, Keith doing push-ups to keep himself busy, he had feared the worst for his mates. The former Paladin moving to the cockpit of his partner so fast he could barely believe his legs could book it that well, before he had collapsed in the seat and demanded to know what was wrong. The only rely he got was:

 

_ The Dreauxee is slipping. _

 

Before Keith was grabbing the controls for the Lion and focusing on his mate, trying to reach out and feel him. Feel the presence that the little hybrids communication system ran off of and when he brushed it he had almost screamed from the pain that ripped through his body. The agony tearing at his flesh, but no wounds ripping across his skin, and from there Red took over. His old partner smothering his pain and reaching for the Dreauxee to ease his suffering. 

 

Lux had resisted, and Keith wasn’t the least bit surprised, but when the hybrids walls came crumbling down he almost cried in relief when Red’s quintessence flowed into his mate. The gentle, deep, rumbling purr in his mind sending him collapsing into the pilot seat with a teary smile. 

 

_ He’ll make it till you leave, but his condition will still worsen. I can only ease his suffering, not cure it.  _

 

“It’s enough, thank you buddy.”

 

_ You better be swift when you leave. The further you travel the weaker my link to him will be. I’m connected to him through you, not Lance. Don’t dawdle. He won’t have long.  _

 

A deep breath left Keith as he moved out of Shiro's concerned reach for him and headed towards his craft. The man behind him calling out for him as the hatch in the back of his ship opened and he stepped onto the ramp. 

 

“Kei-”

 

“I’ll see you guys next week.” Keith cut him off, his back still turned to the Black Paladin. “Keep Lance and Lux in one piece for me.”

 

Without another word he briskly walked into his ship and didn’t bother listening to whatever rely he received. Shiro’s yells for him muffled when the hatch to his craft sealed shut and he opened the hangar doors. The man wearing his Paladin armor, so no harm would come to him, before Keith flew out of the hangar like a bat out of hell and slammed his controls forward at full speed. 

 

_ Be swift my cub.  _

 

“I’ll be back as fast as I can. Just hold on for me, Lance, Lux. I’ll make sure we’re back together again soon.”

* * *

Scarlett: *waves* Hey everyone, sorry for the huge cliffhanger and wait after the last installment for the series. I know I got a few of you excited for what happens next, and while I had the next chapter done the day after, I wanted to write almost all the fic before I decided to post anything so I made sure everything flowed right. *beams, blushing* And I'm also really glad so many of you like the story so far. It means a lot to me, especially since I'm writing this based around an OC I wasn't so sure a lot of people would approve of. So thank you all, but now the wait is over. *cleans throat* I'm near the end of the last chapter and I should have it done today or tomorrow, so I can start posting the chapters for the sequel of What was Wanted Doesn't Always go Right. I'll be posting a chapter a day, so there won't be much wait in content. *bows* So I hope you all enjoy the story till the end. 

 


	2. Terillix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Keith's departure back to the Blade all hell breaks lose. The hold the Red Lion has on Riyluxmn's condition snaps, Lance crash lands onto the Dreauxee home planet of Terillix, and Keith gets lost in an asteroid field. Bad right? Good thing Hunk and Pidge have things under control...mostly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since it's a new day where I am and my stupid butt is still up, new chapter time! *cracks knuckles* Let me roll out the pronunciation dictionary for you guys again, because I'll be adding more weird alien words my brain came up with for this fic.
> 
>  
> 
> You're pronunciation dicitionary:
> 
> Terillix- (Terra-lix)  
> Veritale- (Ver-e-tale)  
> Dreauxee- (Drea-ux-ee)  
> Riyluxmn- (Ri-lux-m)
> 
> *waves* Enjoy the chapter.

_ I can no longer protect you, my cub. Be strong for your mates. My former Paladin will come for you. _

 

Riyluxmn barely had the time to register the words before everything started creeping up on him at a breakneck speed. The ache, the haze, the itch from before speeding toward a terrible, unbearable pain and fever inducing haze that had him clawing at his skin with his nails as he curled up in a ball and whimpered. His whimpers turning into soft cries from the heat and pain raging through his body as his nails pierced his skin and dragged across his flesh. The itch unbearable and his hearing fizzling out while a heavy fever started to take hold. 

 

“R...l...mn!” The voice calling out for him was so faint and watery he could barely hear it, let alone even begin to try and place it. 

 

Yet a heavy clatter echoed through his mind before a heavier heat pressed against his shoulders. The pressure sparking the fever and itch forward into an unbearable pain as he let out a cry and struggled against the hold. His body reacting in defense and his scales flaring and wings manifesting in warning, yet the hold was firm. Not a painful squeeze of fingers or digging of nails, a firm, gentle hold that pulled the Dreauxee’s hands away from his skin and attempted to hold him still. 

 

Hunk. 

 

Hunk was here. He probably came to deliver him his breakfast and walked into whatever horrible position the hybrid was in through his fever induced haze. He was probably calling his name, trying to keep the Dreauxee from injuring himself, and holding back tears of worry and concern. Riyluxmn knew he had to look horrible, he felt like he was in hell. His body was on fire, everything itched to the point he wanted to tear his skin off, and the fever had an iron clad hold on him.

 

He needed his mates. He needed Keith and Lance. He needed their voices, their touch, their heat. H-He wanted-

 

“R...u...n...y...x!”

 

_ Hold on, cub. You have to be strong for your mates.  _

 

Amongst his horrible condition he could hear the Red Lion, a little faint, but there. The concerned and worried purr vibrating against his mind and slowly fading. 

 

_ Keith is bringing the Blades.  _

 

Godfather. Keith was going to get his godfather. He was going to go back to The Blade and mount a rescue mission. His mate was going to reunite them. 

 

“L...n!”

 

He was so tired. In so much pain. He just wanted to-

 

“R-”

* * *

 

This wasn’t good. This so wasn’t good. This was horrible. He had to do something.

 

Those were the frantic thoughts that ran through the yellow Paladins mind as he fought to hold down the struggling Dreauxee beneath him. Riyluxmn crying and screaming in agony as he writhed in his hold and tried to tear at his skin. Deep cuts and scratches already covering his pale purple arms and torn through his shirt sleeves. The fabric in ribbons and blood oozing across this flesh while his shirt soaked up the liquid and crusted to his skin. The little hybrid shaking like a leaf and his gaze so unfocused it was hard to tell if he was even conscious, let alone coherent. 

 

The only reaction he had gotten out of the little teen when he found him on the floor was the scream in pain when he touched him. The instant their skin contacted being the moment Riyluxmn had lost it and brought tears to the kind mans eyes. He wasn’t supposed to be in this much pain. He had been fine yesterday, in a little pain, but he had smiled and joked with Hunk and happily ate his food. His wings had been out and his tail had been happily swaying behind him like a cat, the loneliness of his mates gone clear in his eyes. Now his wings were fluttering in panic and all his scales were spiked out in defense. Tears rolling down the hybrids face and screams echoing through the room that was purposely sound proof, Allura had made sure of it. No one but Hunk could hear his pain and it brought a knife deep into his chest over and over again till he was holding back tears and holding the hybrids hands down. 

 

The male glad he had his Paladin armor on currently because the Dreauxee’s tail was lashing out in defense and slamming into his armored back to protect him. Riyluxmn was so scared and in pain he was trying to fight back against it and his body was attacking the cook without meaning to. If he was in his right mind he’d be in a panic that he could’ve hurt Hunk, but right now he couldn’t even register the male was here. He had to do something for Riyluxmn to calm him down and stop this before he hurled Hunk off him and tore his skin apart till he bled to death. There was no other way the little teen could kill himself other than that and he promised Lance he’d keep the hybrid alive. He promised he’d help Riyluxmn make it to the end of the two weeks and something had to have gone horribly wrong for it to turn out this way. 

 

Riyluxmn had seemed so good the last few days, so healthy and put together. It had seemed like a miracle from the crying agony the little teen had been in before this and whatever it was he had to figure out what it was and revert the teen back to that condition. The Dreauxee wouldn’t survive like this long with Keith leav- 

 

Hunk’s eyes widened as he looked down at the struggling Dreauxee screaming in pain below him. Keith was leaving today. No, he probably already left. Had to have been already gone and that had to be the trigger. Keith had been in the castle, holed up in the Red Lions hangar his entire stay. Hunk had watched him sprint down halls to grab food and go to his old room to collect things. Had seen the pain on his face and the way he itched at his skin when Hunk talked to him and kept him away too long. How uncomfortable he was unless they got back from a battle and Hunk walked by his hangar to head toward the kitchen. 

 

The Red Lions hangar door was always open, just so everyone could see Keith was inside and alright, and he had seen the former Paladin relaxed and comfortable inside the space. Always close to his former partner, never too far away, sometimes in contact with the mechanical beast. The Red Lion was the reason Riyluxmn had been so healthy and Keith had been the medium between them. Keith had let his former partner use him to bridge into the Dreauxee’s mind and ease his pain, because they were mates and they had a telepathic connection. Through Keith and his bond with Red he had protected Riyluxmn till now and now the teen was heading back to The Blade, giving the hybrid back all the pain and agony the lion had been holding back for him. Keith had no choice but to leave and Riyluxmn was suffering because of it. Because Allura was so dead set on moving forward and didn’t realize what she was doing and with the Dreauxee this bad off Lance wasn’t going to be so far behind. When Riyluxmn died so would his best friend and he wasn’t letting that happen. Quiznak Allura and her orders. Lance and Riyluxmn’s health were top priority now and he was going to fix this. He’d reunite them no matter the cost, because with Keith gone Riyluxmn wouldn’t live through the day. 

 

“Everything will be alright, Riyluxmn.” Hunk shakily spoke, his voice hoarse from yelling the teens name to try and calm him. “I’ll get you back to Lance. He’ll know how to fix this.”

 

The Dreauxee couldn’t hear him. Not over his screams of pain, but that was the least of his worries. Especially when the hybrids dual colored eyes fluttered and his voice started to fade. 

 

“Riyluxmn?” Hunk spoke in concern. The hybrid suddenly falling limp in his hold and silence following. “Riyluxmn!” 

 

The yellow Paladin was suddenly shaking the smaller, panic setting in when he got no response. A heavy flush covering the hybrids cheeks and weak breaths leaving his lips as he trembled in Hunk’s hands. His tail and wings limp and his scales back to normal, dull, and his body on fire. A fever had set in and it had taken over the Dreauxee’s entire form. This wasn’t good. This was far from good. This was terrible. Riyluxmn wouldn’t last long like this. 

 

It was then a heavy blaring alarm sounded, the noise putting a deeper dread into Hunk’s system as he looked down at the feverish Dreauxee in worry. That was the emergency alarm for Voltron. He had to go get in his lion to help the others, but he couldn’t leave the hybrid alone. If Riyluxmn worsened or died without him here he’d lose Lance too. He had to stay with him in case something went wrong. 

 

“Allura is going to be so pissed, but I don’t care anymore.” Hunk muttered to himself, pulling the hybrid into his arms and standing up with the trembling Dreauxee against his chest. “I hope yellow has a copilot seat like green does, because if Matt can get a ride with Pidge then I should be able to have you stay with me.”

 

No response came from the feverish, unconscious, Dreauxee as Hunk sprinted out of the room with the teen in his arms. The male careful to take back hallways to his lion to avoid running into the others, before he was climbing into the cockpit of his partner and smiling in relief at the extra seat already there for him. The cook thanking his lion on repeat while he carefully set Riyluxmn in the seat and strapped him in. Hunk double checking the hybrid would be safe, and that his condition was the same, before he sat in his seat and grabbed the controls. 

 

“About time, Hunk.” Pidge joked when he flew out of yellows hangar and straight into the battle. 

 

“Sorry guys, I was on the other side of the castle.” He quickly amended, giving them half the truth and helping them form Voltron. 

 

Their connection a bit sloppy, but strong enough to form the gigantic machine, as Hunk reached out for his best friend and winced at what he found. The swirling, dark, painful ball of agony Lance had become that barely held him together. That had him teetering on the edge. He had ever felt Lance like this ever and it brought up red flags. Especially the haze surrounding him that seemed to be disorienting him from the clumsy way the Paladin shot his shoulder rifle and missed the battle cruiser completely. The Lance he knew never missed a shot. 

 

“Lance, focus!” Shiro ordered into the communication line. A dark, weak, grumble reached them that had Hunk staring at his dashboard in worry, glancing back toward Riyluxmn who was shivering behind him. “Lance?”

 

“M’ fine...give me a second.” The words were soft, pained, and not even close to okay. His best friend lining up a shot again and completely missing the ship by a landslide. “D-Dammit…”

 

Lance didn’t sound good. He sounded as bad as the Dreauxee in Hunk’s cockpit and if his performance was any clue he was developing a fever like the hybrid. Lance could make any shot he wanted with a gun without a hiccup unless he was sick, and with Riyluxmn’s symptoms it was obvious this was a kind of sickness. Something that started with the Dreauxee and spread to his mates. How long would it be before Keith would be in the same condition? Did he already have the fever? How long before Riyluxmn tanked?

 

“Lance, we need you to focus.” Shiro ordered, the Cuban boy’s presence fluttering in their connection. “Hunk, we need your shoulder cannon. If we can’t snipe them we’ll blast them to pieces.”

 

“Right!” Without another word he materialized his bayard and slammed it into the console to his right. His huge shoulder canon coming to life and his targeting system activating. “One huge barrage of firepower coming up.”

 

He fired without hesitation, wanting this to end as fast as he could so he could fix this mess. So he could reunite Riyluxmn and Lance no matter what and save the two of them, before it got worse and despite the rage Allura would throw his way. Yet the moment he fired a huge blast came from the battle cruiser and slammed into Voltron’s right shoulder. Hunk’s cannon blasts still making contact and destroying the ship, but the attack on their machine slammed into the Red Lion and destroyed their connection. Their partners separating from the huge warrior and the Red Lion spiraling out of control and into space, a cry leaving Lance from the hit and echoing through their line. 

 

“Lance!” Hunk was slamming his controls forward to get to his best friend and try and stabilize the  course the Red Lion was on. 

 

The Red beast colliding with an asteroid, before bouncing off it and toward the nearest planet to them. The gravitational pull dragging the lion down into its atmosphere. 

 

“Lance, hold on!” The yellow Paladin yelled over his best friends cries in alarm. Pidge calling out for Lance in concern and Shiro and Allura now realizing how bad Lance was. 

 

“Hunk, wait for us!” Shiro ordered, but the yellow Paladin ignored him. 

 

His controls set on max and the cook begging and pleading with his partner to move as fast as they could to get to his best friend. Lance’s lion spiraling down toward the ground and showing no sign of straightening or getting back on course. The others still in space and calling for him and Lance while Riyluxmn whimpered behind him. A glance back toward the Dreauxee finding him gasping for breath and shaking heavier than before, Hunk’s fingers tightening on the controls as he squeezed his eyes shut. 

 

“Please, Yellow. Please move just a little faster. I only need a little more.” He pleaded, getting a rumble in return. 

 

His partner using all they had to send him shooting past the Red Lion and into it’s path. Hunk veering the controls and getting a hold on Lance’s lion, before they smashed into the sand and the cooks bulky armor took the full impact of the collision. The impact making him jerk forward in his seat and wince when his seatbelt tugged on his form, before he was shaking his head to clear it and ripping his seatbelt off. 

 

“Lance? Lance, can you hear me?” Hunk called, moving his controls so he could gently set the Red Lion down and get up from his seat. “Lance?”

 

A weak groan reached him through the line while Hunk turned to Riyluxmn and unbuckled him from his seat. The cook lifting the Dreauxee into his arms, before he was climbing out of his lion and stepping onto the surface of the planet. One look at his best friends lion making him wince as he sprinted toward the dented and charred metal in worry. The Red Lion thankfully functioning enough to open its jaws for the yellow Paladin, and open its cockpit door, before completely powering down and falling limp. Hunk sprinting inside his best friends lion in a panic, till he rounded the pilot seat and tightened his hold on Riyluxmn in worry. 

 

Leaning forward in his seat and barely conscious, Lance was almost laying across his dashboard. Blood running down the right side of his face from a cut on his forehead and taking in shaky breaths, his cheeks flushed and his form shaking. The sight making the yellow Paladin carefully set Riyluxmn against the control panels on the floor, before he was unbuckling his best friend from his seat and gently pulling him against him. 

 

“Lance? Lance, can you hear me?” A soft groan left the Cuban boy while Hunk gently removed their helmets and cupped his friends cheeks in his hands. “Lance.”

 

“H-Hunk?” Lance’s voice came out shaky and weak, but the sound of his voice had him sighing in relief. 

 

“Yeah, it’s me. How you feeling? Did you hurt anything when we crashed?” He gently asked, rubbing the blood off his friends face. 

 

“C-Crashed? We crashed?” Lance sounded so confused, his gaze a little unfocused. 

 

“Yeah, we crashed. Your lion got hit with a laser and we all separated. You got pulled into this planet's gravitational pull.” A weak groan was his only response as the Cuban boy shook in his arms and blinked at him. The fever was getting worse. “Don’t worry about it, buddy. I got a surprise for you. So stay with me.”

 

“S-Surprise?” A nod left the bulkier teen as he pulled Lance against him and slid across the floor toward where he left Riyluxmn. The cook gently setting his best friend beside the Dreauxee and sitting back to watch them in worry. 

 

“I brought someone special with me in yellow. You’ve missed him, right?”

 

Slowly Lance’s blue eyes shifted toward the hybrid beside him and filled with tears. The Cuban boy reaching a shaking hand out toward the Dreauxee beside him, before he slipped and fell against the hybrids shoulder. His arms winding around the little teens form and a sob leaving Lance as he buried his face into Riyluxmn’s shoulder. The sight making Hunk bite back his tears while his best friend curled up against the hybrid. 

 

“Riy…”

 

“Y-Yeah, I brought him with me.” Hunk spoke, watching his best friend try to pull the Dreauxee into his lap. “Let me, Lance!”

 

Hunk was up on his feet the moment Lance tried to tug Riyluxmn onto his thighs and failed. The bulkier teen lifting the little hybrid and setting him on the Cuban’s lap, before the Dreauxee was pulled into a shaking hug and cradled in Lance’s arms. His best friend fighting back tears as he nuzzled the feverish teen and tried to get a reaction out of him. 

 

“Riy…Riy?” Lance’s voice came out weak and concerned, gloved fingers threading through the Dreauxee’s tangled hair and over his back. His wings currently sealed on his back and the scales still. “R-Riy?”

 

“He’s sick, Lance.” Slowly blue eyes lifted to meet his, his gaze a little more focused than before. “He’s sick.”

 

Lance’s lower lip quivered as he looked back down at the hybrid and pulled him tightly against him. Nose burying into the Dreauxee’s hair. 

 

“K-Keith?”

 

“Keith?”

 

“Where’s Keith?”

 

Hunk’s heart sank and he gently placed a hand on his best friend head. 

 

“He went back to The Blade, Lance. I haven’t heard a single word from him.”

 

“He needs Keith.”

 

A small nod left the yellow Paladin as he watched his best friend gently cradle his mate and whisper to him. The words so soft Hunk couldn’t register them, but based off Riyluxmn’s slightly lighter cheeks it was working. Just from Lance’s contact alone the Dreauxee was reverting slightly and that eased up the pain in the bulkier man's chest. He was keeping his promise with Lance, he was keeping them alive. 

 

“Hunk? Lance?” Pidge called, making the yellow Paladins head snap up as she came running into the cockpit in worry. “Are you guys oka-”

 

Her eyes widened the moment she caught sight of Riyluxmn in Lance’s lap. Panic in her expression, till she noticed their condition and her lower lip shook. Her fingers tightening into fists at Riyluxmn’s still, feverish, form and Lance holding onto the Dreauxee for dear life. 

 

“Pidge? Pidge, are Hunk and Lance alright?” Shiro asked through her helmet, clearly telling him that him and Allura didn’t even bother to touch down on the planet to make sure they were alright. 

 

“They’re alright. Lance is a little beat up and his lion shut down, but they’ll be alright.” She calmly spoke, her tone strong and defensive. “Hunk and me will haul him back to the castle.”

 

“Alright, take your time.” Shiro spoke, before the line disconnected and Pidge yanked her helmet off. Concerned brown eyes watching the mated pair curled up on the floor. 

 

“They were this bad?” She shakily asked, Hunk giving her a nod in return. “What was Allura thinking? They can’t survive two weeks of this!”

 

“We would’ve lost Riyluxmn if I didn’t bring him with me.” Hunk added, looking back to the pair and finding the hybrid’s breaths were steadier. “After Keith left the hold the Red Lion had on Riyluxmn’s condition snapped. Everything hit him at once.”

 

Worried brown eyes fell on the deep scratches and cuts on the small teens arms and Pidge squeezed her eyes shut. 

 

“This is so wrong. I didn’t think it’d be this bad.”

 

“Neither did I, but they’re all bound together.” Brown eyes opened and snapped to him. 

 

“Bound? As in like soulmates or on a molecular level?” A nod left Hunk and her angry gaze fell on the pair. “Their lives are connected and Allura- we’re ending this.”

 

In front of them Riyluxmn stirred in Lance's arms and the Cuban boy scrambled to cup the Dreauxee’s cheeks. Pidge kneeling down to support the hybrid’s back, while dual colored eyes fluttered open and Lance’s eyes filled with fresh tears. 

 

“R-Riy?”

* * *

 

He finally had Riy back in his arms.

 

The thought has Lance fighting back heavy sobs and sniffles as he squeezed the Dreauxee against him and ignored Hunk and Pidge talking. The hybrid shaking in his hold, his body hot, and his eyes squeezed shut in pain while Lance gently stroked his back. The lanky teen trying his best to give the smaller all the contact he could manage, to warm his freezing scales through the torn fabric of his shirt, and rouse the smaller in his arms. Riy needed to know he was here. He needed to see him and hear his voice. Only then would he start to feel better. 

 

So when he heard the first groan that left his little mate he was in a panic as he scrambled to cup Riy’s cheeks and get those blurry and beautiful brown and yellow eyes to focus on him. Pidge right beside him to keep the Dreauxee steady while Lance rubbed his thumbs against the hybrids scaled cheeks and tried to put on a smile. One that would ease his mate when he saw him as those dual colored eyes blinked at him in a haze. The fevers hold on him still strong while a small twitch from those pale purple ears had him sucking in a breath. 

 

“R-Riy, baby, it’s me.” Lance shakily spoke, trying to keep his tears at bay while his fellow Paladins watched them. “It’s Lance. I’m here, babe.”

The Dreauxee’s ears twitched again. Lance repeating himself again before the tail laying limp across his legs shifted. The appendage slithering up his thigh and to his waist, curling around him, before tears filled his little mates eyes. Leave it to Riy to know it was him just by wrapping his tail around him. He did it enough on a daily basis. 

 

“L-Lance…” Riy’s voice was so soft and hoarse it made everyone wince, but the Cuban boy still wrapped his arms around the Dreauxee and held him close when he started sniffling. “L-Lance.”

 

“Yeah, it’s me, babe. I’m here.”

 

The tears took hold at full force and don't stop then. His mate sobbing into his shoulder as Lance held him close and tight, making sure the Dreauxee knew he was here and this was all real, while the scales on his back shifted and his wings slowly manifested. The process taking longer than usual and the extra appendages slumped slightly, almost sick looking. Everything about his mate looked terrible, sick looking. From his messy, tangled hair, dull pale purple skin, the bags under his eyes, and the weak flutter of his wings and loose hold of his tail it was a miracle Riy was alive. If Hunk hadn’t brought him now… 

 

“I’m here, babe.” Lance shakily spoke, burying his face into the Dreauxee’s hair and squeezing him close. “And I won’t go anywhere.”

 

A snort left Pidge and he looked up to see the anger on her face, Hunk’s determined and sad gaze on them. 

 

“You two are staying together. I don’t care what Allura says anymore.” Pidge spoke, anger dripping from her voice. “She could’ve killed all three of you with this stunt.”

 

“He’s not out of the woods yet, Pidge. He still needs Keith.” Lance spoke up as brown eyes shifted to worry. “We’re both his mates. I’ll ease everything till it’s bearable, but he needs Keith too. He’s still sick.”

 

“A separation sickness.” The green Paladin muttered with a frown, before she put her helmet back on. “Then let's get you guys in yellow and get back to the castle. I’ll call Keith on the way and order him back to the castle. That way he’ll be back when we get there and we can protect you guys from Allura.”

 

“Thank you, Pidge. I owe-”

 

“Me nothing.” She interrupted, handing him his helmet. “We should’ve fought for you guys when Allura first made the orders so this didn’t happen in the first place. I don’t know how we didn’t see how bad this would affect you guys, but we’re not making the same mistake twice. Put your helmet on and I’ll help you to yellow. Hunk will carry Riyluxmn.”

 

A small nod left the Red Paladin as he took the helmet and slid it on over his head. Hunk gently pulling Riy from his arms, and hushing the Dreauxee with quiet words when he whined, while Pidge helped Lance to his feet and moved them forward. The four of them making it out of the Red Lion and back onto the planet's surface, before the sound of weapons reached them and they all stiffened at the armed aliens surrounding them. 

 

All of them taller than Shiro and holding spears and edged weapons, till Pidge reached for her bayard and Lance took in their appearances. The scales, wings, and tails slapping him into realization as he quickly grabbed her hand and knocked her weapon to the ground before their attackers could hurt her in defense. 

 

“Pidge, don’t! They’re Dreauxee!” His exclamation startled everyone around him, the Dreauxee jolting and lifting their weapons, Hunk and Pidge flinching in alarm and looking to him and aliens in disbelief, Riy whimpering at his distress and his kind looking to his mate in surprise. 

 

They were Dreauxee. From their sandy skin tones, vibrant scales, and three sets of wings they were tri-winged Dreauxee. The warriors of their kind, the ones that protected their village. Had they crashed by one? Where they in the sands of Veritale? D-Did he seriously crash his lion on Terillix of all planets?

 

“They’re Dreauxee?” Pidge spoke in awe, brown eyes looking over the weary warriors till a spear was pushed toward them. “Hey-!”

 

“Return our kin!” The Dreauxee ordered, a growl leaving the male as his scales flared and Lance scrambled to put himself between them and the aliens. “Return-”

 

“He’s my mate! We crashed.” Lance spoke up, silencing the warrior as the three behind him looked toward his mate in Hunk’s arms and watched him wearily. “He’s sick. We’ve been separated for five days and our other mate isn’t with us. My ship got hit and I crashed. He’s my mate.”

 

Silence followed as the Dreauxee looked him and Riy over as if they were searching for something. Their postures still on edge till his mate whimpered out for him and the aliens looked toward the little teen in an instant. The action almost an instinct as Lance held his hands up and inched over to Hunk and Riy. His blue eyes on them, till he reached his friend and mate and turned his attention to the little hybrid. 

 

The fever returning with a vengeance and short breaths leaving his mate as Lance urged Hunk to hand him over and knelt don’t on the sand beneath them to have Riy placed in his lap. Hunk nervous and skittish as he quietly followed through with his request and gave him his mate. The Dreauxee curling up against him and pressing against his armor to get as close to him as possible, while Lance gently started stroking his scales again. Riy’s tail curling around his waist and his mate relaxing in his hold till the sound of weapons lowering reached his ears and an awed sound left Hunk. Confusion filling Lance at the noise, till he lifted his head and jumped in alarm. 

 

The sand around him was moving! The grains of earth were hovering around him and Riy, curling and swirling slowly in a protective dome. The shield blocking the sun beating down on his feverish mate and the sand itself settling against the hybrids form and moving in and out from under his scales. Riy shivering at the sensation, but not fighting it in defense, while the grains cleaned his filthy scales and made them shine. His mate relaxing against his chest and closing his eyes at the sensation while the Dreauxee watched in shock. All four warriors watching the sand itself as if it had betrayed them till one of them spoke. 

 

“Lady Veritale, are you sure what they speak is true?” The male Dreauxee who had pointed his spear at them asked. “Our kind never leave the sands-”

 

The sand around Lance and Riy shifted swiftly and swirled around the pair, before settling to shield their front and blocked their view of the aliens. Lance looking to a shocked Pidge and Hunk in turn in worry while Riy fell asleep against him. 

 

“So it’s true…”

 

“I’m sorry, but what’s going on?” Pidge hesitantly spoke, the green Paladin flinching when the aliens no doubt looked at her wearily. 

 

“I thought Veritale was the desert, not a person.” Hunk added. 

 

Slowly the sand parted so Lance could see again and moved to shield them from the sun. The Dreauxee in front of them uncomfortable with his best friends words as they looked at one another and then Lance and his feverish mate. A few moments of silence following as they looked at one another and a female warrior Dreauxee stepped forward, handing her weapon to the male beside her. 

 

“Not quite, but that is the least of our concern as of present.” She spoke, her dialect old sounding to Lance’s ears. “He needs care.”

 

Her eyes shifted to Riy asleep against him, his cheeks still flushed badly, and nodded in confirmation. 

 

“Lance-” Pidge started, before the Red Paladin shook his head. “This isn’t-”

 

“They’ll know how to help him till we can get Keith here.” Lance spoke as the female warrior knelt beside them and checked Riy’s temperature. “We don’t know much about him remember? Hunk will come with us and you take green back to the castle and call Keith to come ba- no. Call Keith and track his signal. He has to be as bad as Riy right now and can’t fly. Find him and bring him here. You can use our signals to find us when you get back.”

 

“What about Shiro and Allura?” Hunk asked in concern while Pidge frowned, but still nodded with his plan. “They’ll call us if we don’t get back soon.”

 

“Tell them the truth.” Lance answered, looking toward the green Paladin who smirked and nodded, before he turned to the Dreauxee beside him. “Is that alright?”

 

“Of course. He will need his other mate.” She replied, while the male behind her scoffed and the two behind him frowned. 

 

“The elder will not be pleased. You’re bringing foreigners into our homeland.” He snapped. 

 

“And you wanted to drag the youngling away from one of his mates.” She argued back, brushing the hair out of Riy’s face. “Lady Veritale already gave them her blessing. We’ll take them back.”

 

The male Dreauxee huffed, but didn’t say anything more as Pidge hugged him from behind and he put a hand on the top of her helmet. 

 

“Be careful, Lance.” She spoke, before separating from him and running toward her lion. 

 

Hunk moving forward to take Riy from him while the female Dreauxee helped him to his shaky feet and offered to support him, a gesture he gratefully took. 

 

“Let’s make haste, outsider. The faster we get to our village the faster we can ease his fever.” A nod left Lance as he let her guide him, the warrior Dreauxee taking the lead and Hunk following them through the sands. “And the sooner your other mate arrives the better.”

 

“He’ll make it. Pidge will find him.” Lance assured her, glancing back at his sleeping mate. “Keith will be here.”

* * *

 

The blaring of alarms banged against Keith’s ears as he jerked forward in his seat and sucked in a heavy breath. His blurred vision flying towards the warning alerts on his dashboard just as another object collided with his craft and sent him hurtling in a spinning arch. A grunt in pain wrenching from his lips as his seat belt jammed into his hips and knocked the wind out of him. His vision spotting and the half breed jerking his controls against the spin, before he smashing into another asteroid and space rock flew everywhere. His ship getting lodged into the huge weightless object as it moved and slowly twirled with the impact. Several other asteroids scraping against his craft with horrid screeches as he jerked his controls and his engine sputtered to a stop.

 

The sound making Keith curse as he let go of the controls and willed his mask away. The teen pulling in a decent breath as he brushed his palms against his sweating, flushed, cheeks and shakily reached for the dashboard. A space rock hitting his craft, jerking him forward and smashing his forehead into the console as he yelped in pain and shakily patted at the injury. His gloved fingers coming away with blood as he turned his eyes back to the dashboard and the map in front of him. Of the star system he wasn’t supposed to be in and the hazy images of planets he didn’t recognize. He was lost, with a fever and in pain, and he had to be far enough away by now. 

 

“C-Call K-Kolivan…” Keith shakily spoke to the dashboard, letting out a sigh of relief when the system followed through with his order and thanked the Olkari for adding in the voice feature he wanted. 

 

The half breed didn’t think he could find the right buttons to do it himself. Not now anyway. Not with the fever and the pain and the itch ravaging his body. He hadn’t even been gone an hour and his condition tanked to this level. He couldn’t wait any longer. He had to get help now. 

 

“Keith?” Kolivan’s voice was music to his ears as he shakily pulled himself up slightly and focused hazy violet eyes on the blurry Galra male on the screen in front of him. “Keith? What’s wrong with you? Where are you?”

 

“D-Don’t know.” He mumbled out, glancing down at the blurry map and letting out a hiss when another asteroid scraped against his craft and jerked him forward in his seat. His chin hitting the dashboard and making him yelp, before his craft jerked sideways and he was nearly thrown from his chair, even with the seatbelt on. “B-But I n-need-”

 

“What happened?” Kolivan cut him off, tone serious and Keith couldn’t help the heartbroken laugh that fell past his lips. His fingers tightening against the dashboard and Kolivan giving out orders to a few Blades off the screen. “Keith?”

 

“‘Llura s-separated us…” the harsh intake of breath that echoed in his ears told him he didn’t need to say anything more as another call flashed on his dashboard. The green Lions symbol on it and Kolivan yelling orders to the Blades behind him. Keith tapping his bloody fingers on the call and it appearing next to Kolivan’s screen. “P-Pidge?”

 

“Thank god you answered! I’ve spent the past ten minutes trying to call you!” She yelled in relief, before she seemed to take in his appearance. “Oh god, Keith, you look as bad as Riyluxmn.”

 

“Where is he?” Kolivan demanded, startling Pidge who winced at the protective Galra male glaring at her. “Where is my charge?”

 

“T-Terillix.” She quickly answered, focusing on Keith. “Lance lost control of his lion and crashed on the planet and Hunk went after him. He had Riyluxmn in the yellow lion and reunited him with Lance. They’re with a group of Dreauxee who are going to bring them back to their village and help them. Riyluxmn’s sick.”

 

Lux and Lance were…tears filled his eyes as he softly smiled and relaxed against the dashboard. His mates were together. They’d survive till he got there. Till he could pull himself together and-

 

His ship smashed into another asteroid and a sickening screech of metal ripped through the cockpit. His suit activating his mask without his consent as Pidge screamed for him and Kolivan yelled his name. His seatbelt disengaging as the coldness of space reached him through his suit and he scrambled to grab onto the dashboard. The machinery ripping out of his grip as he yelled out in frustration and tried to reach out and grab something, anything to hold onto, but he smashed into something hard and pain blasted through his body. His vision blurring and the fever escalating as he cried out in pain and tried to grip at the source of the agony. His gaze blackening around the edges while a speck of green started hurtling toward him from the distance and his eyes slowly fell shut. 

 

Lux and Lance were back together again. Now all he had to do was…

* * *

Scarlett: *nervously glances around, whistling innocently* Sorry, not sorry for the cliffy. Next chapter will come out tomorrow. Enjoy the chapter! *waves*

 


	3. The Sands of Veritale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Lance, Riyluxmn, and Hunk arrive at the Dreauxee village the Red Paladin quickly learns the documentary is not only very right, but very wrong about Riyluxmn's own kind. The village looks nothing like the movie, but the Dreauxee's secretive and weary nature towards outsiders is very real and maddening. Good thing Deramel, one of the village Warriors, is on their side. Oh yeah, and did he forget to mention their own species' goddess adores his mate? Yeah, Lady Veritale has their back and she's a mother bear on the prowl. Now all they need is for Pidge to bring Keith back in one piece...if that's even possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're pronunciation dicitionary:
> 
> Terillix- (Terra-lix)  
> Veritale- (Ver-e-tale)  
> Dreauxee- (Drea-ux-ee)  
> Riyluxmn- (Ri-lux-m)  
> Deramel- (Dera-mel)
> 
> *waves* Enjoy the chapter.

It seemed like ages before they finally reached the village the warrior Dreauxee spoke off. Their group having to stop a handful of times every time Riy’s condition worsened and Lance had to care for him. His mates fever going down with enough contact and gentle touches, before they were back on their feet and moving toward their destination. Of course now that they were here Lance was throwing most of that stupid documentaries creditably out the window. The village they had seen in the movie was nothing like this one. 

 

True it was settled into a canyon like the movie, but it rested at the end of the crevice and was larger than the one in the documentary. Large stone walls protecting the outer edge of its ceiling, the rock faded and broken like ruins, and other warriors standing guard hidden behind the walls. Their group passing by with ease when the female warrior guiding Lance explained their situation and were granted access to pass. They received glares, but they still made their way down the carved stone steps and toward the heart of the village. Their group moving from platform to platform as they passed homes dug into the rock walls and stores and facilities. Some covered with cloth doors to provide privacy and others wide open to encourage socialization or trade amongst the people. Rock awnings over every entrance to provide a little shade and keep the dens cool from the hot sun. The villages citizens watching them wearily and scrambling out of their path. 

 

The Dreauxee the same brown, orange, and soft red skin tones Lance remembered from the movie while their wings kept the stupid documentary creditable to his distaste. From single, dual, and tri-wings there was a healthy mix amongst the population and they all moved out of their way as they passed. The warriors standing in front of the citizens and when one wasn’t close a dual-winged Dreauxee flared their wings in warning, but never growled like the warriors. Their scales in the same shaded palette as their skin tone, but a bit darker, unless he settled his eyes on a warrior with their bright and vibrant colors. Their eyes dual colored like Riy’s, but far subtler in browns and oranges, while the citizens watched them and hushed whispers filled the crowds. Most eyes settling on his feverish mate and whispers criticizing the little hybrids skin tone and appearance while Lance bit his tongue and glared at them. 

 

The Red Paladin knowing better than to snap back in a foreign place to defend Riy, but it didn’t stop his irritation. They thought he was an abomination, confused by the color of his skin and scales, and saw him as a mutt. A dirty blooded version of their kind that they couldn’t understand was present in their home, but were curious nonetheless. Yet no one came close to investigate and Lance was glad for that. If they tried anything he’d have his bayard out and trained on them before the warrior guiding him along could stop him. He’d shoot anyone full of holes who tried to pick on or degrade his mate in front of him, consequences be damned. Riy has been through enough. 

 

Of course the public ridicule didn’t even come close to an end. No. When they reached the bottom floor of the canyon they reached the town center, the busiest place in the village, full of Dreauxee, and stopped in front of the steps in front of a huge looming temple of sorts carved into the rock. A carved, and slightly faded, statue of a beautiful goddess etched into the wall and cradling the entrance to the temple in her arms. Her features soft and motherly, while swirls of some sort caressed her and the open doorway to the building. The curves and archs moving to the steps and fanning out in what looked like a small wave on either side, a lantern built on each of them and lit with a small Balmera crystal. To be honest it looked beautiful and Lance blinked up at it in awe till footsteps reached his ears and he turned his head to the noise. His blue gaze falling on an elderly Dreauxee bundled in an ancient looking cloak and bright fabric. 

 

“Who are these outsiders and what are they doing in the village?” The man spoke, stopping just a few steps above them, a deep frown on his face. 

 

Around them the whispers started again and Lance bit his tongue to keep quiet while Hunk looked around nervously. His mate squirming in his best friends hold in distress at the voices and Lance was looking toward him in worry. Riy was due for another cuddle, but it probably wasn’t appropriate to do that now. True he was the hybrids mate and he had a right to, but he didn’t want to startle anyone and cause a misunderstanding if he moved. Especially with who he had to guess was the elder of the village glaring at them in distaste, his eyes shifting to Riy and a disgusted look falling on his face. 

 

“And why did you bring that disgusting trash here? Throw it out, it’s tainted.” The order from the elder had Lance jerking and growling in the female warriors gentle support on him and making several of the aliens around him jolt and reach for their weapons. The elder himself stepping back wearily due to the fact Lance was just as much of an unknown factor to them as they were to him. “Why-!”

 

“I apologize, elder, but you have offended him.” The female warrior at the Red Paladin’s side spoke kindly, interrupting the man and getting confused and hushed whispers. “The outsiders ship crashed in The Sands and we found them stumbling from the craft. He has been separated from his mate for five moons and the Dreauxee is sick, his other mate gone as well. One of their own is searching for him.”

 

The disgusted look on the man's face only increased when she mentioned Lance and Keith being Riy’s mate’s. The look taking over other Dreauxee’s faces as their hushed words turned harsher and Lance fought back the urge to reach for his bayard. He was in the middle of half the population and a couple dozen warriors were present in the village center. One wrong move and he’d be dead, but he was pissed nevertheless. 

 

They all thought Riy was trash and Lance knew for a fact he was far from that. His mate was beautiful and kind and gentle and none of these morons could live up to his mate’s image. Especially if all they cared about was what color he was. Because news flash, browns, oranges, and reds weren’t as pretty as Riy’s purples and browns. They made his mate look like a dusk sky, while these losers looked like burnt toast and bruised tomatoes. 

 

“Mates?” The elders question was full of disgust and Lance glared at him with a snarl. The woman at his side squeezing his hip in warning while the man jolted back and held up his hands in defense. The other Dreauxee whispering and stepping away in fear. “I’ve never heard of such an unfaithful thing, let alone seen such creatures like these. They shouldn’t be in this village, Deramel. Send them back to their ship. Lady Veritale would not approve of this.”

 

The male warrior from before scoffed with the elder’s answer, no doubt amused his previous comment back in the desert was right, and Lance sent him a glare that had him flinching and reeling back in fear. The Red Paladin keeping a growl in check and getting an approving pat on the hip from Deramel beside him, her gaze focused on the elder but an amused look on her face. 

 

“I afraid I can not do that, Elder. Lady Veritale would be displeased if I returned them from where they came.” She replied, before Riy squirmed and whimpered in Hunk’s hold. His best friend nearly dropping the hybrid as he nervously tried to hush the smaller and Deramel gestured the yellow Paladin over. “Bring him here, outsider.”

 

“D-Deramel-”

 

Slowly Hunk came over with Riy and the woman beside him helped him sit on the stone ground beneath their feet. His best friend handing over his mate as Lance pulled the little hybrid against his chest and pulled off his helmet to hand to his fellow Paladin. Hunk taking it with nervous hands as he stepped back to give them space and Riy curled up against him. His fever spiked again and his body hot even through his armor, as he started to gently rub his fingers against his mates sparkling scales and buried his face into the teens neck. Riy’s tail winding around his waist and his body resting against him, while Lance smiled in relief and closed his eyes briefly. 

 

The effects of his touch were taking less time to take effect, which meant Riy was getting better. He wasn’t close to being on the perfect path to recovery, but this was a start and it lifted some of the weight off his shoulders. When Keith got here Riy would be better in no time at all. 

 

“Lance.” Hunk’s hissed voice had him opening his eyes and looking at his best friend in confusion, before a finger pointed above him and a smirk spread across the Cubans face. 

 

The sand was doing that weird trick again, having gathered off the stone ground of the village center, and was protecting them from the sun once more. The other Dreauxee staring at them in shock, awe, and betrayal. All while the Elder waved a shaking finger at the sand surrounding them and stuttered and stumbled over his words. 

 

“L-Lady Veritale! How could you?! They’re outsiders! The purple one is an abomination! They’re tainted!” He bellowed in disgust, the other Dreauxee joining in. 

 

Before long yells and screams surrounded them, Hunk and Deramel standing at his side in worry and protection while Riy shivered at the voices in his sleep. The other warriors they came with silent, till Riy stirred in his arms and growled. The tone so deep, dark, and threatening an eerie silence filled the air and every Dreauxee became mute. The little hybrid slowly opening his brown and yellow eyes as his scales flared and his wings manifested. Every warrior reaching for their weapons before the sand surrounding them moved. The grains shooting out in jagged spikes and nearly hitting the citizens in the outside circle as they scrambled away in fear and screams and gasps filled the air. The citizens beyond petrified as Riy shakily pushed away from his chest and hissed. 

 

His mates fangs making an appearance and his eyes glowing, while each and every sharp scale filled with poison. The purples and browns turned a deadly black, while his wings fluttered in warning and all was still. A deep growl rumbling in the smallers throat as he continued to shake, still under the fevers hold, but coherent enough to know they were being threatened. To know they were talking shit about them and Lance was angry and he was upset for the little hybrid, and that was enough of a reason to be pissed and protective of the Paladin. And now they all seemed to get the idea. All the warriors dropping their weapons and a lot of the population backing up till they were huddled against the outer walls of the village center and somewhat safe from the hybrids scales. Of course Lance wasn’t going to tell them Riy’s scales were better than theirs. He could let loose right now and kill everyone in the clearing without having to aim. His range was that much larger than theirs and his poison was that deadly. Seems being half Galra gave him perks after all. His ‘disgusting’ colors weren’t just for shown. 

 

“Your goddess and my mate beg to defer.” Lance finally spoke, a smart tone in his voice that had the terrified Elder glaring at him. “She makes the final decisions, right?”

 

If looks could kill Lance would be very dead right now. The man looked furious, but with the sharp sand right in his face and shifting in warning he couldn’t argue. Because if Lance was right, and he was going off pure theory here, their goddess was indeed Veritale, the name of the desert, and she was in fact real in a strange and weird way. She wasn’t a corporal being, alive with a beating heart, but resided in the sands of their land. Able to comprehend and think like every living being, protecting her creations and guiding them, and right now she was royally pissed. 

 

Pissed that her own children were trying to throw out one of her long lost, sick, young from their homeland and send him to his death. Rejecting him care and a safe place to rest till her child could be reunited with her other mate and begin to heal. She wanted to protect, nurture, and show him love, but the others wanted to throw him away. From the way the sand caressed his mates defensive form he could tell she loved him just like the others, if not more. Riy was unique and more powerful than her original children, more deadly, and far more kind and she adorned him. She wanted to save him and nothing was going to stop her, and Lance agreed with her a hundred percent. His mate was beautiful and he didn’t deserve this pain anymore. 

 

“I believe this conversation has reached its end.” Deramel spoke up, the woman setting a hand on Lance’s shoulder and looking at the elder. “Lady Veritale made her decision before we arrived and she is set on the outcome. She wishes them to stay, Elder, will you continue to retaliate?”

 

The man glared at them heavily, before he stepped back from the sand and straightened himself out. His cloak being straightened as he cleared his throat. 

 

“If Lady Veritale is set on keeping the  _ outsiders _ present in the village than I can not argue with her any further.” Came his strained answer, displeasure in his voice as the sand started to retreat and return to being their umbrella from the sun. “If she wants to help the  _ Dreauxee  _ then she can.”

 

The way he spoke was full of poison and Riy growled in defense and displeasure, scales shifting, before Lance gently rested his hands near their bases and brushed his hands over them. Each individual scale slowly returning to its original color and flattening against his skin with his touch, while the younger Dreauxee in the clearing watched in surprise. Children wide eyed and looking at Lance and his mate in awe as the Paladin turned his hybrids poison filled back to its original colors. Riy purring against him and his wings settling, while his fangs receded and he slowly calmed down. His tail changing colors, without Lance having to do it himself, as they all flattened and the appendage moved to wrap around him once more in its rightful place. Riy slowly settling against his chest once more and closing his eyes as his ears twitched and he purred. 

 

“Then let us go get you settled in.” Deramel spoke, squeezing Lance’s shoulder as he nodded and took his helmet back from Hunk so his best friend could take his mate. “We need to get his fever down before his other mates arrival.”

 

Slowly Lance got to his feet and they all climbed the steps of the temple. The Elder still glaring at them, and the citizens afraid, while the sand followed behind them. The grains swirling and twirling playfully as if happy they won, before moving past to brush past Lance and guide them into the temple and to their temporary home.

* * *

 

“Keith!” Pidge slammed the controls on her lion forward as she weaved in and out of the asteroid field. The screeching of metal filling her cockpit from the communication line, till it cut off and her eyes snapped to the map before her teammates location fell off it. “Keith, hold on!”

 

She didn’t know if he could hear her, Kolivan for sure couldn’t, but she could only hope he did. It had taken too long for her lion to find his ship, it being so new and all, and when it did she hadn’t liked what she saw. Not her teammate laying across his dashboard in a pain fevered haze, breathing shallowly, and trying to focus on them. He was almost as bad as Riyluxmn, slowly making his way to worse, and to top it all off she found his location in an asteroid field of all places in a star system they hadn’t been in before. The only way he wandered into the system was because the fever had taken hold earlier and clouded his thoughts, getting him lost, but that was the least of her problems. The idiot had crashed into an asteroid and set of a chain effect, ripping his ship apart and Pidge could only hope he was still alive. Hope he hadn’t been crushed or decompressed by his ship’s destruction or his suit malfunctioning. She promised to get him to Lance and Riyluxmn and she was going to do just that. 

 

“Oh thank god!” She happily cried when she caught sight of Keith’s craft and saw him floating not far from it. “You better be alive, you stupid quiznaker.”

 

Slowly she eased up on the controls, taking in the sight of the shredded craft and all its machinery hanging out of it, before she opened the jaw of her lion and grabbed the Blade. A notification telling her he was there, as she snapped greens jaw shut and ripped off her seatbelt. The girl quickly getting to her feet as she ran for the cockpit door and grabbed for her teammate. Her arms wrapped around his chest, before she pulled him into her lion thanks to the weightless gravity, till she passed the threshold and the door closed behind them. The gravity returning to normal and Pidge scrambling to keep Keith from slamming into the floor, as the roughly ended up in a heap and a deep groan reached her ears. 

 

Her fingers yanking his hood back and feeling around for the button that disabled the mask, till it shimmered into nothingness and the half breed face came into view. A deep cut across his forehead, blood covering the left side of his face, and thankfully clotted, while bruises and scrapes covered his pale skin. His eyes squeezed shut in pain and his cheeks heavily flushed as he panted for breath. Riyluxmn’s fever finally reached him and it was taking hold. 

 

“Green, I need a copilot seat please.” Pidge requested as the floor opened up a few feet from her and an extra seat slid up into its place. The heavy hiss and click telling her it was safe to use as she carefully got up and shoved her arms under her teammates armpits. “Oh god, how are you this heavy? You're smaller than Lance!”

 

Her complaint fell on deaf ears as she dragged the half breed across the floor and somehow got him into the seat. Her muscles screaming in agony when she finally got him sitting upright and buckled him in. 

 

“I’m telling Lance and Riyluxmn you need to lay of dessert. You’re so fat.” She muttered, checking to make sure he was secure, before settling back in her chair and securing her own seat belt. The girl tapping at her dashboard and jerking a control stick back to avoid an asteroid. “And I’m so telling on you for driving your ship into an asteroid field. The Olkari worked so hard on that ship and they were happy you loved it. And Riyluxmn will never let you fly again after this stunt- ah, there we go. I got him, Kolivan.”

 

The leader of The Blade of Marmora didn’t look pleased, but with the knowledge that Keith was with her his shoulders relaxed slightly. The man already in a ship and other Blades working behind him. 

 

“Good. We’re heading to Terillix now.”

 

“Alright, I’ll meet you there. You should be able to pick up the red and yellow Lions quintessence signatures. Land by their lions and when I get there I’ll fly us to the village.” A nod left the man, before his eyebrows furrowed. 

 

“And the princess and the black Paladin?” He asked, tone dark and angry. The sound sending shivers down her spine. 

 

“I plan to call them on my way back, let them know what happened. I won’t let them near them though.” She replied and Kolivan nodded. 

 

“If you don’t take care of keeping them away, I will.”

 

The feed cut off and Pidge harshly swallowed, the Paladin pushing aside the threat with a small laugh as she grabbed the controls and headed out of the asteroid field. A glance behind her finding Keith still unconscious and no better than before the call as she let out a sigh and moved past the last asteroid with ease. 

 

“Allura is so dead when Kolivan sees her next.” Pidge muttered as she jammed her controls forward and let her lion shoot through space back toward Terillix, before tapping her dashboard and setting her lion on autopilot. A nifty feature she programmed herself. “And you guys are going to owe us for this big time. I want a trip to the space mall and some new tech. So you better have money ready.”

 

Silence filled the air as she huffed and glanced back at her teammate. His breathing soft as she reached back and felt his forehead. Keith’s temperature burning, while Pidge frowned in worry and her helmet did a scan on the older. Little messages appearing before her eyes as she scanned them one by one. 

 

“Concussion, bruising, bruised ribs, fever, oh wow…your heart rate should not be that high.” She breathed, worried brown eyes looking over her teammate. “It must be the pain. Just hang on, Keith. Green will get us to Terillix as fast as she can.”

 

Slowly Pidge moved her hand away from the older and bit her lip. Brown eyes focusing back on the dashboard as she glared down at it and held hesitating fingers over it. She had to make the call, but she didn’t want to. Allura and Shiro needed to know how bad they quiznaked up, but she didn’t want them barging in and trying to fix this. Lance had this under control. The Cuban boy knew what he was doing and Pidge trusted his orders. She didn’t want Allura and Shiro making this worse, but she had to check in or the idiots would be landing on Terillix to find empty Lions and panicking. 

 

“Here goes nothing.” Pidge sighed, tapping at her dashboard and leaning back in her seat as the call started. Coran appearing on her screen and the man giving her a salute. 

 

“Hey No.5!” He happily spoke, getting an irritated eye twitch from the green Paladin. “How’s the lion extraction going? Lance still alright?”

 

“Is that Pidge?” Shiro’s voice called off screen, before the man appeared at the Alteans side and he frowned at the seat behind her’s. “Is Lance with you? I thought you said his condition wasn’t bad.”

 

“That’s not Lance.” Pidge replied, a deep frown falling over her face when she got a raised eyebrow. “I just picked up Keith in an asteroid field two star systems over in the wreckage of his new ship.”

 

The response was immediate from Coran’s look of horror and Shiro’s panicked face. 

 

“An asteroid- what happened?” Shiro demanded in his leader voice, eyes narrowing. “He was supposed to head back to The Blade-”

 

“Allura happened.” Pidge cut him off darkly, finding pride in the way her leader reeled back. “And for the record Lance, Hunk and Riyluxmn are still on Terillix, Riyluxmn’s home planet, to get help. They almost died.”

 

“Wh-?”

 

“Are Riyluxmn and Lance alright?” Coran asked, concern on his face as Shiro stared at her in disbelief. 

 

“They’ll live till I can get Keith to them. Hunk reunited them just in time.” Came her reply, fingers digging into her flight suit. “The native Dreauxee there took Lance, Riyluxmn and Hunk back to their village to try and get Riyluxmn’s fever down. The separation made him sick and it spread to Lance and Keith.”

 

“That’s good, Pidge. They’ll be able to keep him stabler than I could. Get back to them quickly.” Coran spoke in relief, her leader opening and closing his mouth like a fish. 

 

“Pidge…Allura-”

 

“Allura can quiznak off at this point!” Pidge yelled, startling both men for her volume and language. Footsteps sounding in the background. “If she hadn’t-”

 

“Excuse me?” Allura’s surprised voice reached her, before the Altean appeared beside the others and Pidge glared at her. “What’s going o-”

 

“You almost killed three people, that’s what’s going on!” Pidge snapped, watching her jolt in surprise and the filter to the green Paladins mouth broke. “Hunk snuck Riyluxmn into his lion, because he was in such a bad condition he thought he was going to die! And in case you didn’t know, thanks to Riyluxmn’s mixed DNA, if he dies so do Keith and Lance! Their lives are bound together you stupid quiznaker! And they’d all be dead right now if Lance hadn’t crashed and Hunk hadn’t snuck Riyluxmn into his lion and reunited them-!”

 

“You reunite-”

 

“Hunk SAVED them!” Pidge yelled over the princess, face red with anger as she punched her seatbelt off and got to her feet, slamming her hands against the dashboard and everyone jumped in alarm. “They’d all be DEAD, Allura! DEAD! You’d be out two precious Paladins that fly the same damn lion and we’d be out three family members! You almost killed three people! If Hunk hadn’t got Riyluxmn to Lance it’d be over! They were a wreck, I’m surprised they were even alive at that point, and Keith isn’t any better! He’s beat to shit-”

 

“Langua-”

 

“SHIT! And he’s running the same horrible fever Riyluxmn is right now! So here’s what going to happen!” By now the trio were staring at her in shocked fear and she tapped angrily at her dashboard. “I’m going back to Terillix to lead The Blade of Marmora to Lance and Riyluxmn and get Keith back to them, and you guys-!”

 

Pidge angrily pointed at the screen and they moved back slightly. 

 

“Are going to stay the quiznak there till we get them all together, fixed, healthy, happy, and not quiznaked up like you made them be! If one of you- ONE! Lands on Terillix I’m going to make your life a living hell! That is before Kolivan finds the worst and most painful way to make you suffer for doing this to his godson, and then we’re coming home! You are never to speak of this again, ever hint towards it, and if you even make a hint of an order close to this one again I will make sure every last Altean is dead! You understand me?!”

 

The silence that followed was enough of an answer to her tirade, as she leaned back and sat in her seat. The green Paladin buckling her seatbelt, before she grabbed the controls and let out a small breath. 

 

“Now if you excuse me I have a Keith to deliver and an angry group of Blades to escort so you guys live to see another day. Bye.” With a single tap she ended the call, before slumping in her seat and putting her hands over her face. “Oh god, Shiro is going to kill me for that.”

 

A soft chuckle came from behind her, before she suddenly straightened and turned to find Keith lightly laughing behind her. A hand over his face, his cheeks still flushed, and a bit of pain on his face, as he snorted and one hazy violet eyes fell on her. 

 

“What’s so funny, Kogane?”

 

“Sh-Shiro looked like he was gunna piss himself.” The giggle after had Pidge pinching the bridge of her nose as she turned back to the controls and disengaged autopilot. “Oh my god, I haven’t seen that look in ages.”

 

“Glad I could amuse you, Kogane. You know, over the extremely high fever, bruised ribs, and the pain you're in.” Pidge deadpanned, rolling her eyes when a hiss left the male behind her, and she pushed her lion into Terillix’s atmosphere. “I can’t wait till your mates get to deal with this shit.”

 

“L-Lance and Lux?”

 

“Yeah, we're going to go find them after I pick up the Blade’s. So stay awake till we get there.”

 

“Th-They okay?”  His question had her glancing back at him and his worried expression, despite his terrible state. “Pidge?”

 

“Lance knows what he’s doing.”

 

When Keith relaxed in his seat the green Paladin turned back forward and tightened her grip on the controls. A shaky sigh leaving her as she landed her lion and found Kolivan and a small team of members waiting for them already amongst the sand. Pidge unbuckling her belt and getting up to ruffle her teammates hair and head for the door. 

 

“I’ll be right back, loser. Stay awake for me.”

* * *

 

When they stepped into the temple the sand guiding them moved to create the shape of the statue outside. The woman made from the grains moving forward to cradle Lance’s face in her hand and press their foreheads together. The gesture startling him, before she floated over to his mate and did the same to him. Riy softly smiling at her, his tail and wings moving in delight, till she returned back to the swirls of sand and shot out across the large lobby and into a hallway to their right. Deramel smirking beside the Paladin as she pulled him in the sands direction and Hunk followed them.

 

“Lady Veritale adores you two.” Deramel spoke in amusement as Lance looked toward her in confusion. “She is not one to show that form easily to our own people, let alone outsiders.”

 

“You’ve seen her like that before?” Lance asked, getting a nod and smile. 

 

“How do you think I became a warrior? Our goddesses chooses which of her children will protect our people and when the time comes she grants us the power to do that. I met her for the first time when I got my third set of wings.” Blue eyes moved to the three sets of wings coming out of the woman’s back behind her and she raised an amused eyebrow at him. Lance looking away with a nervous smile. “I think she’s happy to see one of her children left the sands to find happiness and she gets to meet her grandchild.”

 

Ahead of them the sand was floating next to a open hole in the wall. The grains shifting to form the woman’s figure again as she clasped her hands in front of herself and she seemed to beam at them. Her posture reminding Lance of his mate, as he smiled at her and she gestured toward the entrance. The four of them reaching her side to find a nice bedroom inside. A mattress on the floor, covered in nice looking blankets and pillows, while a few pieces of furniture were placed inside. A couch off to the side and the table made of uncomfortable looking stone, but cushions littered across them making the space vibrant and comfortable looking as Veritale waved a hand and the balmera crystals on the ceiling lit up and brightened the space. The sand woman clasping her hands again in glee as Deramel bowed her head and helped Lance inside. The warrior seating him on the surprisingly comfortable couch and Hunk laying Riy in the bed when Lady Veritale gestured him to. 

 

“Since you’ll be staying for awhile I’ll get you all a change of clothes. That armor will be uncomfortable.” Deramel spoke up, before she gestured to the hall. “The larger outsider can pick a room in this hall to stay in if you’d like. I assume you want your own space?”

 

“Yes, thank you.” Hunk spoke, before the warrior nodded and disappeared. His best friend suddenly collapsing beside him and letting it a heavy sigh. “That was so stressful! I thought they were going to kill us.”

 

Lady Veritale’s figure shook, laughing, and Hunk blushed. The sand woman floating over to his mate and cradling his face in her hands as she looked him over. Lance giving her a moment with the hybrid as he yanked his helmet off and started pulling his armor off as well. 

 

“They wouldn’t if they knew what was good for them.” Lance muttered, his blue eyes watching the Dreauxee goddess. “That Elder was rude, even after their own goddess approved of us, and the rest of them. And if they tried anything I was gunna let them have a taste of my bayard.”

 

“That’s a little harsh dude.”

 

“Trying to send us out into the desert again was harsh, Hunk. They wanted to kill us.”

 

“We did kind of barge in and weird them out. We’re aliens to them.” Hunk reasoned and Lance sighed. A hand rubbing over his face as he yanked his boots off. “Anyone would be freaked out.”

 

“Yeah, but they were talking about Riy like he was garbage.” Lance spoke, the sand woman looking in his direction in interest. “Just because he’s a different color and he’s not all Dreauxee. Don’t they feel any sympathy for him? He’s their kin.”

 

“Alien racism.” Hunk tried, getting a frown from the Red Paladin. “Hey, it happened back home. I’m really not surprised it happens out in space too. They just think he’s weird because he’s not like them.”

 

“Riy isn’t weird, he’s special.” Lance corrected, peeling off the last of his armor and Lady Veritale going back to cooing over his mate. Riy letting her lace her sandy fingers with his and smiling through his fever at her. His tail swaying happily and his wings fluttering. The sand woman creating her own wings and making them move, however she had four of them and they looked longer than her children’s, and they gained his mates attention in an instant. “There’s no other alien like him out there and he’s perfect. He’s kind and sweet and protective and loyal and he doesn’t deserve this, Hunk. He deserves so much better.”

 

“That’s why he has you guys.” The response had him turning to his best friend in surprise and seeing the smile on the bulkier teens face. “That’s why he has Keith and you, because you guys make him happy and you were born for each other. You guys exist to give each other something better than what the universe and this war throws at us. Why do you care about what a bunch of aliens think anyway?”

 

A small smile spread over the Paladins face, before Deramel came back with a pile of clothes in her arms and blinked at Lady Veritale in surprise. The Dreauxee goddess suddenly straightening and her wings disappearing in embarrassment, while Riy huffed and the warrior smirked. The sand woman turning away and covering her face, before dispersing into swirls. 

 

“Brought clothes.” Deramel spoke in amusement, setting them on the table and watching the grains twist and swirl in a flustered mess. “And there was a report of that green ship landing again.”

 

Lance froze in his move to pull a garment out of the pile and snapped his head up toward her. Lady Veritale reforming into her statue form and clasping her hands to her chest. 

 

“Pidge, she must’ve brought Keith back.” Lance spoke, looking to his best friend who nodded and tapped at his helmet to turn it on so she could find them. “Could she fly her ship near the village? The faster they get here the better.”

 

“The people probably will not like it, but I believe that is the least of our problems.” Deramel responded. “I plan to go out and meet them nonetheless. What does your other mate look like?”

 

“He’s got dark hair, a little long, violet eyes and he dresses in dark colors.” Lance explained, the warrior nodding, while Hunk fiddled with his helmet and rummaged through the clothes the Cuban abandoned. “He’s may seem a little rude, but he means well.”

 

“Protective of his mates.” Deramel corrected and Lance nodded. “I’ll be sure to bring him here the moment your friend arrives. For now we need to bring your other mates fever down. We can’t let him get any worse.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Then go ahead and change and lay with him. I will get some medicine.” She spoke, before swiftly leaving and Lance blinked after her. His cheeks a little flushed at her wording till Hunk pressed a blue and purple looking garment against the Cuban. 

 

“This one looks like it’ll fit you.” His best friend spoke, before rummaging in the pile sgain with a frown. “Everything is small. I don’t think any of this will fit me.”

 

Lance blinked down at the fabric against his chest, before he turned it over in his hands and realized what it was. A smile making way onto his face as he pushed the cook's hands away from the pile and started pulling fabric out of it. 

 

“Lance-”

 

“I got you, buddy. Just trust me.” He interrupted, before he pulled what he needed into his lap and started weaving and tying the pieces together. 

 

Lady Veritale returning to her statue form to wonder over in curiosity while Lance worked. His long fingers making quick work of his task, before he urged his friend to his feet and showed him how to wear what he made over his armor so he could do it later in private. The new garment made from orange, yellow, and a few red pieces of cloth and acted like a toga of sorts. The orange and yellow fabric creating the main piece of the clothing, while Lance had tied a red fabric underneath to create an extra layer and cover his friends chest like a wrap. Red accenting his waist and the colors making his skin pop from under his helmet. 

 

“There, now it fits.” Lance grinned, getting a soft look from his friend, before he was pulled into a hug and the Dreauxee goddess looked at the Paladins creation in surprise. 

 

“Thanks Lance. Now work on getting Riyluxmn better.”

 

“I will.” 

 

A happy smile fell over his friend's face as he left to go find a room for himself down the hall. Lance looking to the fabric that was picked out for him as he picked it up and Lady Veritale suddenly bowed. The goddess turning into loose sand and dashing into the hall to give him privacy, as he softly smiled and started working on getting his flight suit off. The fabric clinging to him uncomfortably, till it peeled off his body and he turned the blue and purple fabric over in his hands. The teen trying to decide how to wear it, before he shrugged his shoulders and pulled it over himself. 

 

The material soft and silky to the touch as it settled onto his shoulders and covered him like a loose flowing tank top. The fabric reaching his mid thighs, before he rooted around in the pile for some pants and tossed on the first black pair he could find that fit. The clothing so comfortable he wondered if he should grab some for his mate, but Riy was injured on top of being sick and they need to treat them before Lance changed his clothes. 

 

“L-Lance…?” Riy’s wobbly, worried voice had the Cuban walking across the room and to his mate’s side. The teen sitting on the edge of the mattress and gently taking the hand that reached out for him. 

 

“I’m right here, babe.” Lance gently spoke, before he laid down beside the smaller and wrapped his arms around him when Riy cuddled up against him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“Y-You’re hot…” a soft smile fell over the Paladins face as he squeezed his mate close and closed his eyes. 

 

“Yeah, I’m running fever like you.” A soft whine reached his ears and he buried his face into the hybrids hair. “It’s not your fault, Riy, but we’ll get better when Keith gets here.”

 

“M-Missed...you.” Came the Dreauxee’s soft voice, Lance smiling. 

 

“So did I, Riy. I love you.” A soft purr vibrated against his chest, before Deramel’s footsteps stopped in the doorway and he turned to find her standing in the entrance with a tray. “Babe, let's get you up so we can get a look at you.”

 

A soft whine reached his ears in protest but his mate still let him move the hybrid. His little mate being placed in his lap, back against Lance’s chest, as the warrior Dreauxee walked to their bedside and sat on the floor. Her tray full of herbs and medical supplies as she looked his mate over and bowed her head. 

 

“My name is Deramel, Little one. May I tend to your ailments?” She politely asked, head staying bowed, before Riy nodded and she reached for the tray. “I will tend to your injuries first, then your fever.”

 

A soft hum left his little mate as the warrior picked up a wet cloth and took one of Riy’s scratched up arms in her hand. Lady Veritale peeking back into the room, before she floated back over and hovered as Deramel worked. Each cut and scratch carefully cleaned, and disinfected, before a weird looking paste was applied to them and she gently wrapped his arm in bandages. The same treatment going to his mates other arm, before she moved to mess with the herbs and Lady Veritale flew over to the pile of clothes. Her swirl form diving into the fabric, before she re-emerged with a few pieces of fabric and brought them over to hand them to Lance. The goddess’s posture full of pride as he took them from her and smiled. 

 

“Thank you.” She seemed to beam at him, before Deramel lifted a small clay bowl up to his mates lips filled with a strangle colored liquid. 

 

“This’ll help the fever, little one.” A whine left Riy at what Lance had to guess was the smell of it, as he gently rubbed his mate’s hip and nuzzled his neck. Riy shivering in his hold, before he gave in to his silent request and drank the medicine. His face scrunching up when he finally managed to swallow it and Deramel picked up her tray. “I know it tastes bad, but it will help the fever. Do you need anything else until your other mate gets here?”

 

“No, we should be fine. Thank you for all this.” Lance spoke in relief and respect. “I hope we didn’t get you in trouble, Deramel.”

 

The warrior shook her head as she stood. 

 

“You did not, outsider. I am merely following Lady Veritale’s wishes.” 

 

The sand woman seemed to beam, before she floated over to the warrior and pressed their foreheads together. Deramel blinking at her in surprise at the reaction as her goddess moved away and disappeared out into the hall. The warrior watching her turn into swirls and vanish from sight. 

 

“It’s Lance by the way.” The Paladin spoke up, dual colored eyes falling on him. “My name is Lance and this is Riyluxmn.”

 

The Cuban gave his mate a squeeze when he introduced him and Riy curled up against his chest, tail wrapping around his waist. The sight making the woman smile as she bowed her head. 

 

“Then it is a pleasure to officially be acquainted with you Lance, Riyluxmn. May I ask your other mates name?”

 

“Keith.” Lance replied, before receiving a nod. 

 

“I will be sure to use it when he arrives. Until then the both of you should rest.” She spoke, before she swiftly left the room and gave them their privacy. 

 

Lance letting out a soft sigh as he looked down at the hybrid in his lap and Riy blinked up at him. His hands brushing against the Cubans cheeks before the taller leaned forward and pressed their lips together. The little Dreauxee purring in his hold as his eyes fluttered shut and he relaxed against him. The kiss small and chaste, before Lance pulled away and grabbed for the clothes beside him. 

 

“Let's get you dressed for bed, Riy.” A soft purr was his only response before Lance helped him into the clothes the Dreauxee goddess chose and tied the fabric together. 

 

A pair of black pants covering his legs just like Lance’s, but a slit for his tail present, while the Paladin used the red and blue fabric left over to fashion a top. The Cuban using it to drape over his mates shoulders, cross across his chest, and secure against his back with a small bow. The fabric loose and covering enough skin to be appropriate, while letting his mate manifest his wings if he wished, as Riy smiled at his work and curled up against him. Lance leaning back against the mattress and wrapping his arms around the smaller, before placing a kiss against his forehead. 

 

“Get some sleep, babe. Keith will be here soon.”

 

The deep, rumbling, happy purr he received had Lance smiling while Riy drifted off. The little hybrid’s calm breaths making him relax as the Cuban gently ran his fingers through the teens hair, working the knots out, before sleep took hold of him and carefully dragged him under.

* * *

 

“K...h? Ke...th? Keith!”

 

A spark of pain jolted Keith awake as he let out a gasp and came face to face with a blurry Pidge. A worried look on her face and a hand pressing against his forehead, before she frowned and movement registered to the half breeds right. His violet eyes shifting over to find blurry shapes of a few Blade members as he groaned in pain and shifted. The seat belt against his waist making him wince, the thing rubbing against the bruises there, and the girl in front of him looked at him in worry. 

 

“Y...bur...p.” Her voice was so broken up and faint he couldn’t hear much, but by her expression Keith could guess she realized that. She turned to the others in the cockpit and started speaking again, her hand still against his forehead. “We...d...et...ng….e...ds…la...iy.”

 

A deeper voice barely registered in his ears before she turned back to him and gently took his hands in hers. Her worried expression still present as she squeezed his fingers and gave him a small smile. The green Paladins expression telling him what she couldn’t through words, before she let go of him and moved to her pilot seat. The loss of touch bringing back the pain and heat as he shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. His vision blurring and spotting around the edges, before the deep voice got closer and something moved to his left. 

 

A blur of dark colors coming into his line of sight, before gloved hands grabbed his cheeks and pulled his gaze from his lap. The touch sparking pain through his system and easing it at the same time, while a blur of purples, reds and whites met his vision. The deep voice still trying to talk to him, while Pidge started piloting her lion. The sudden jerk and pull of his seat belt making Keith hiss out in pain, before he was leaned back into his seat by another set of hand on his shoulders. Violet eyes finding a blurry Blade Member rubbing his shoulders, while his mind registered Kolivan in front of him trying to talk to him. His deep voice nothing but a rumble in his mind while he spoke, hands rubbing against the skin of his flushed cheeks. The touch slowly easing some of the pain, as he registered his panting breaths and the leader's voice started reaching him from a distance. 

 

“Take deep breaths, little one. We’ll be there soon.” It was faint, so so faint, but he could hear him if he focused. 

 

“K-Ko-li-van?” Keith managed to get out, the fingers against his face stiffening and the hands on his shoulders tightening. 

 

“Keith? Can you hear me?” Somehow he managed a nod, his head spinning with the movement and he screwed his eyes shut. “Try not to move. You fell asleep and your condition worsened.”

 

Behind the man Pidge’s voice spoke, but Keith couldn’t understand her. He could pick up her tone, relieved and concerned, but her words were lost to him and stuck to a one sided conversation. 

 

“He’s coherent, but the fever is still strong. No. I believe our contact with him is providing relief, however small it is. Make haste, Paladin.” The fingers against his cheeks started stroking his skin again and the half breed pried his eyes open. “Keith, we need you to stay awake for us. We’re on our way to Lance and Riyluxmn. Do you understand me? Blink if you can.”

 

Slowly he blinked, a sigh of relief leaving the man. The single breath revealing all the worry and stress he was holding back for his godson. The hands on his face never letting up on his skin. 

 

“The green Paladin found their location. We’ll be there within the hour. Can you stay awake that long?” 

 

Keith blinked in response, giving the man a little relief, but in reality he didn’t know if he could. His whole body felt heavy, wracked with unbearable pain, and a boiling heat had taken over his skin. It was pure torture, worse than anything he ever had to deal with being out in space, and he really wanted it to end. His entire body was shaking uncontrollably and he knew it was because of the separation. He had felt the symptoms slowly creep up on him as he had flown toward the Blades base, but he never thought it’d get this bad. Not to the point he couldn’t tell the pain and fever apart from one another and it hurt even more to focus on Kolivan talking to him. He wanted to go back to hearing nothing, but he needed to be able to hear him if something happened. God, he was so tired. 

 

“Keith, stay awake.” Kolivan spoke, his voice louder, as the teen blinked at him and the blurry man’s eyebrows furrowed. “We’ll be there soon.”

 

“...’M...ti...red…” he managed to force out. 

 

Pidge’s voice started then, but Keith still couldn’t hear what she was saying. The half breed slowly blinking and exhaustion starting to take root. 

 

“Keith, you need to stay awake.” Kolivan sternly spoke, turning toward the girl behind him. “How much longer?”

 

More voices, more words he couldn’t understand, and now the other Blade members were moving around the cockpit. 

 

“Keith, we’ll be there in ten minutes. Stay awake.”

 

“C...an...t.” His eyes felt so heavy and between the shaking, pain, and exhaustion it felt like he was shutting down. 

 

“You  **need** to. Hang on a little longer and you’ll be with Lance and Riyluxmn.”

 

Lance…Lux…they were okay right? Pidge never really gave him a solid answer. If he was this bad how bad off were they? They were together, right? Please tell him them being together at least made them feel better. They couldn’t still be suffering because of him. They couldn’t. 

 

“Keith, look at me.” The hand on his face dragged his head back up to face the leader and his vision swam with the movement. A groan leaving his lips. “Keith, yo….t….we...mos….ere...Ke..th? K…h? K…!”

 

The voices started to fade, panic in them, and the darkness sped into his vision. Spots taking over his view in a flurry and pulling him under. 

 

“KEITH!”

* * *

Scarlett: *hiding under a blanket* New day, new chapter...*glances away* and it gets better, I promise. I'm just a huge sucker for hurt characters and maddening cliffhangers. So no fretting. This is the last Keith scare and they all reunite next chapter. No heart attacks please. *looks back at and waves* So I hope you enjoy the chapter. Next chapter comes out tomorrow.

 


	4. Reuntied

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when Lance thought things have settled down somewhat Pidge returns with Keith, the elder of the village decides to start shit again, and the Red Paladin has had it. His mates and him have gone through enough in the past week, but that's far from the end of it. No, not when they still have to recover and the people of the village give them a hard time to the point Riyluxmn breaks apart and flees. However Keith of all people has it under control and his solution is one that Lance never thought would come out of the half breeds mouth, but one the Red Paladin instantly accepts. Now all they have to do is make sure Riyluxmn makes it back to them in one piece.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're pronunciation dicitionary:
> 
> Terillix- (Terra-lix)  
> Veritale- (Ver-e-tale)  
> Dreauxee- (Drea-ux-ee)  
> Riyluxmn- (Ri-lux-m)  
> Deramel- (Dera-mel)  
> Teralorfe- (Terra-lore-f)

It had been a peaceful sleep. The mattress surprisingly the most comfortable thing Lance ever slept on and between the desert heat and blankets he was nice and warm. Riy curled up against his chest and soft purrs vibrating against his chest, keeping him deep in his dreams. That was until the earthquake hit. 

 

The sudden rumble and bang jolting Lance awake as he scrambled up and yanked his mate to his chest protectively. Riy whining against him while the Paladin shot a hand out and his bayard flew from his armor on the table to his hand. Weapon pointed toward the entrance of their room as the earth continued to quake and he blinked away the remnants of sleep. His brain finally catching up with the situation, before the tremors came to a halt and all was quiet. The silence unnerving as Riy sat up properly against him and rubbed at his eyes with a huff. His forehead pressed against the Cuban boy’s collarbone and his fever lower than before, but still ragging. 

 

“Lwance?” The sleepy version of his name almost had him blushing and cooing at his adorable mate, before panicked and angry voices echoed through the temple. 

 

The noise making Riy’s ears twitch and his dual colored eyes shift to the entrance of their room, before Lady Veritale flew into the room in a panic and morphed into her statue form. Hands of sand grabbing at Lance’s armed one and trying to yank him from the bed as he blinked at her in confusion. The voices getting louder as they moved into the temple and closer to them at a speed that had Lance following the goddesses order and getting to his feet. Riy whimpering and reaching for him at his loss of body heat, before heavy footsteps echoed in their hall and the Paladin reluctantly let his bayard return to his armor in favor of letting the sand woman grasp his hand and yank him toward the door. 

 

“Lady Veritale, what’s going-” his question was never finished as the booming voices shredded through his. 

 

“He can not be here! We will not allow anymore outsid-”

 

“If my friends die I’m going to be your worst nightmare!” Pidge’s voice. She was back! “Keep moving, Kolivan!”

 

Kolivan? Why was Kolivan-

 

The thought wasn’t finished. Not when the leader of The Blade of Marmora came barging into the room with Keith limp in his arms. Lance’s elder mate trembling weakly in his hold, eyes shut, face horribly flushed, and weak, shallow, breaths leaving his lips. The effects of their separation shredding him apart. Just the sight had tears in his eyes as he scrambled toward the man and toward the half breed. 

 

“Keith!” His voice came out panicked, Riy snapping into realization in the bed, while Kolivan moved his mate so the Cuban boy could reach him and cup his cheeks. “Oh god. How did you get this bad? How long has he been like this?”

 

“For over an hour.” The man spoke while his eyes moved to his godson who was looking toward them in want. Want for his other mate. “We believe the effects moved faster than Riyluxmn’s.”

 

“G-Get him in bed.” Lance shakily commanded, the voices in the hall still echoing as Lady Veritale fluttered around them in a panic. The Cuban boy letting go of Keith in favor of moving back to the Dreauxee’s side while Kolivan followed him. “Set him by Riy.”

 

A nod left the man as he knelt down by the bed and carefully set the half breed against the mattress. No sound leaving Keith’s lips during the jostling, before he was resting beside the Dreauxee and the little hybrid was reaching out for the Blade. Shaking hands cupping his face as the Dreauxee curled against his side and whimpered in pain. The sound bringing worry to their faces while Keith stayed silent except for his shallow breaths. 

 

“You people-!”

 

“I said stay the  **Fuck** back!” Pidge yelled from outside, Lance getting up from beside the bed to peek out into the hall. The Paladin letting Kolivan watch his mates as he found the Elder of the village trying to get the Green Paladin to leave. Several warrior class Dreauxee behind him and Pidge’s bayard drawn, Hunk by her side and dressed in the clothes Lance made for him. “You take one more step and I’ll show you want a Paladin of Voltron is capable of, you fuckers!”

 

A frown fell over Lance’s face as he moved out of the room and leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. His movement catching the Elder and warrior’s attentions. 

 

“What’s going on here?” Lance demanded, before Hunk and Pidge turned toward him in relief. The girl walking toward him to wrap him in a hug. “Hey, Pidge.”

 

“Hey, how are you and Riyluxmn?”

 

“Managing. Thank you for finding, Keith.” The Red Paladin spoke, squeezing her close. 

 

“I wish I could’ve brought him back better than this.” She muttered, separating from him with a distressed look on her face. 

 

“He’s alive. That’s enough, Pi-”

 

“How many more of your kind are going to be trespassing into our village?” The Elder bellowed in disgust, blue eyes snapping toward the Dreauxee. “You people-”

 

“Pidge and the members of the Blade of Marmora are the last of our group. Pidge was with us when Deramel found us and the man who carried in our other mate is Riyluxmn’s godfather. The others are my mates pack members. You want to try and make any of them leave?” Lance challenged, eyes narrowing and fingers twitching on his teammates shoulders. His words making the man stiffen and step back closer to the warriors behind him. “I didn’t think so. Now I’m going to go back to my mates, try and get Keith’s fever down, and make it through the separation sickness. You come in here again to start shit and I let the Blade take care of you. Got me?”

 

A deathly silence followed, the Dreauxee in the hallway staring at him in shock for his audacity, till Lady Veritale flew out of the room and stood by his side. Well, more like floated, but with her statue form’s crossed arms over her chest and four sets of wings flared out she was more than enough of the threat. Especially with the sand swirling around her in warning that had the Elder on his knees in seconds and pleading for the goddesses forgiveness, the warrior’s heads bowed, while Pidge just stared at her in disbelief. Lance wrapping an arm around his fellow Paladin’s shoulders and pulling her into the room while Hunk returned to his own with a shake of his head. 

 

“Honestly, if it wasn’t going to start a potential war I would’ve killed that moron when I first met him.” Lance grumbled as he bypassed his mates still curled up on the bed to dig through the pile of clothes still on the table. “Guy has the nerve to badmouth my own mate right in front of me and go against his own goddesses wishes, and expects me to play nice? God, no wonder Keith is alway so grumpy all the time.”

 

“Hunk was right, you are snippy.” Pidge spoke up in amusement. The girl stopping by his side to watch him dig through fabric and pick out an outfit for her to change into, brown eyes watching Keith and Riy. “Are you always grouchy when you’re sick?”

 

“Only with good reason.” The Red Paladin answered back, pulling out a few garments for his teammate and handing them to her. “But to be honest someone has to keep Riy safe when Keith isn’t here. I’m not the best choice, but I’m more coherent through the fever.” 

 

A hum left the girl beside him, before Lance’s gaze shifted back to his mates on the bed and his heart sank. Blue eyes falling on the two feverish teens curled up against one another and sound asleep. Kolivan sitting crossed legged on the floor and watching over them with furrowed eyebrows and a stern expression. That was till his fellow teammate’s hand rested on his arm and he turned to find soft brown eyes looking at him. 

 

“You did great, Lance, really. You might not believe it, but Riyluxmn and you wouldn’t be here in this village if you didn’t try so hard and give us the right orders to bring the three of you together again.” She spoke, Lance moving to open his mouth before her finger pressed against his lips. “Yeah. Hunk brought Riyluxmn to you, but you’re the one that knew how to ease Riyluxmn’s fever down enough and get the Dreauxee to believe you two were mates. And if you hadn’t ordered me to go find Keith instead of call for him back at the castle all of you would be dead right about now. Plus, you’ve got a Dreauxee sand goddess on your side. I don’t think Keith would have come close to this. You’re a perfect match for them, Lance.”

 

A gentle pat to his shoulder brought tears to his eyes, before she flashed him a small smile and disappeared out into the hall. The Red Paladin pressing a hand against his face and letting out a heavy breath as everything crumbled. His fake mask shattering and his confidence and protective attitude washing away in an instant, while heavy tears rolled down his face and the fever burning through him came back to the forefront. The heat bringing spots to his vision and making everything waver, before a heavy arm wrapped around his waist and his head nearly touched the stone table behind him. Strained breaths leaving his lips and Kolivan’s worried expression reaching him as the man carefully lifted him off the ground and into his arms. 

 

“If you were this bad you shouldn’t have been pushing yourself.” Kolivan spoke, his words scolding him but his tone full of thanks. 

 

“You kidding me? I’ve been like this the entire time.” Lance lightly laughed back as the man carried him toward the bed. “My acting skills are just that incredible.”

 

A small chuckle left his mate’s godfather before he was set on the mattress on the other side of Riyluxmn. The blankets being thrown over them, before the leader of the Blade took a seat next to the bed in his previous spot and gave the Paladin a nod. 

 

“Then be rest assured I’ll keep the three of you safe while you recover. You won’t have to worry about Keith and Riyluxmn’s safety anymore, Lance.” Kolivan spoke, pulling a weak smile from the Red Paladin as he moved to spoon the Dreauxee at his side and tangle his fingers with Keith’s. “The Blade and myself won’t let anything happen to you.”

 

“Thanks...you’re a pretty cool godfather, you know.” Lance softly muttered out, a surprised expression snapping onto the Galra’s face as the Cuban boy chuckled and let the exhaustion pull him down. “Glad… you’re on... our side…”

* * *

 

Everything had been a blur. One big huge blur. Riyluxmn could barely make out anything that had happened since Hunk pulled him away from Lance inside the Red Lion and carried him off through the sand. He could remember feelings, and gentle touches, soft whispered words and the heat of his mate, but anything solid never reached him. His gaze never focused beyond the blur of colors and words were never whole. He just remembered feeling Lance being there and then not, over and over again, easing the pain and then bringing it back. Then there were voices. So, so, many voices. All hushed and blurred and in such a large volume. It had been too much to try and comprehend, try and sort and filter through, before he had felt Lance again and then his mate was on the defensive. The voices now too loud to comprehend and bashing into his ear drums. His mate tense and hot under his armor and squeezing the Dreauxee close and all Riyluxmn wanted was to protect him, and protect him he did.

 

When he flared his scales and filled them with poison he did it in the end result of death. To shred and kill whatever or whoever was threatening his mate. His fangs sharp and his eyes no doubt glowing, wings out in warning, and if Lance gave him the order he’d kill. He’d release ever scale from his body, healing consequences be damned, to make sure he hit his target and then some just to get rid of the threat. But when Lance’s gentle hands pressed against the base of his scales he had no choice but to flatten them, retract the poison, and lower his guard. Soft fingers and palms moving down the entirety of his back till every scale was flat and he was pulled close to the Paladin. The Dreauxee gently guided to his mate’s neck and he relaxed against the Cuban. They were safe. Lance believed they were safe.

 

Then we was pulled away again, pulled away from his mate and everything came back. The need for the Paladin back again and the voices back, till he saw her. A blur of brown that moved as if alive, shifting like sand, and soft and warm. Her touch gentle and loving as she had cradled his face, her long hair flowing around him like a curtain, their foreheads touching and bringing a comforting warmth to the terrible ache in his body, before she disappeared. The teen being moved again, jostled slightly, and rested against something soft and warm and then she was back again. The woman floating above him and watching him, no facial features on her face, but Riyluxmn knew she was looking solely at him. Especially when her fingers cradled his face again in a motherly gesture, the way Frieden used to when he was young and squished his cheeks. She disappeared again, but not for long, and then she was back with him again. Her presence all too calming and familiar to him as she tangled her sandy fingers with his against the hybrids chest and hovered just over him. The feel of her touch the same as the sand that had flowed between his scales back at the desert to calm him, tell him he was safe and he was home… home. She was home.

 

Terillix. The Sands of Veritale. He was on his home planet. The birthplace of his Dreauxee side, his mother’s home world and the woman in front of him was-

 

_ Welcome home, my child. _

 

The words echoed in his head, soft, kind, and motherly. Breaking through his pain and fever as the woman figure above him suddenly grew wings just like his, four sets instead of any of the sets of three, and she seemed to beam at him. Nothing but love and joy seeping into him and Riyluxmn couldn’t help but mirror it. His own wings fluttering with hers and his tail swaying in happiness. 

 

Lady Veritale was her name. The creator of his kind, their mother, and his many greats grandmother and she loved him. She loved him despite how different he looked and how small he was. The fact he had two mates instead of one, and she would do anything to protect him and make sure he lived. The feeling was so long lost and forgotten it almost brought tears to his eyes. Her protectiveness was just like his mother's, and his godmother’s, that he couldn’t help but relax beneath her and not fight back against the fever and pain. She’d protect him, no matter what form she took, or where she was, because she could be at his side in an instant and she had dearly missed her long lost child. Yet as much as he liked the new feeling she gave him, nothing beat the pure bliss he felt when Lance returned to his side. 

 

His touch quelling some of the agony as he was carefully treated by a warrior Dreauxee of all things and left to curl with Lance. Their peace only lasting so long before he was jolted awake and into a panic. The fever lessened and the blur of colors a bit more clear, but still indistinguishable. His body pressed against the Paladin’s till Lance was ripped from him and he whimpered out for him, afraid he had been taken from him, till he heard it. 

 

“Keith!” The first real word he heard this entire time, and it brought panic to his system. 

 

That was Lance’s voice, panicked and afraid, and it made him fear the worst. Especially when he felt the mattress dip and warmth seeped into his skin, the Dreauxee reaching out for the still form beside him and touching their skin. The texture of Keith’s flesh reaching his fingertips, before his emotions smashed into him and the hybrid whimpered. From fear and pain, to sadness and loneliness his eldest mate was suffering. The half breed holding onto life with a single thread and Riyluxmn curled up beside him, pressing up against him as far as he could go without being on top of him and praying. Praying he’d make it, before falling under one last time.

 

Then he woke up. Slower than before, quieter, and calmer. Less heat and pain burning through his system as he slowly opened his eyes. The blur of colors far more defined than before and sound reaching his ears, far off in the distance, as he softly breathed in. Keith’s heavy scent filling his nose and Lance’s cool and soft smell wafting in from behind him. His body warm and a long arm wrapped around his waist, another draped over him and holding Keith’s hand between them. Caramel and paper white skin tangled together as he slowly wriggled his hand out from under the blanket and set his pale purple hand on top of theirs. The touch bringing relief tingling through his fingertips, while a soft sigh passed his lips and he smiled. 

 

They were all back together again. 

 

“Good morning, Riyluxmn.” Lance’s voice was soft and gentle against his ear as his arm wrapped around his waist squeezed him close and his nose buried into the Dreauxee’s neck. “How you feeling, babe?”

 

“B-Better.” His voice cracked, but it was stronger and healthier than he could remember it being. “You? You feel warm.”

 

“I’m better. The better you get, the better I feel.” A soft hum left the hybrid as his dual colored eyes moved toward his elder mate and found him fast asleep beside him. His Blade uniform on and his face beaten and scratched up. “Keith’s fever finally lowered a few hours ago. He’s got it worse than us.”

 

“How long have we been asleep?”

 

“Good twelve hours.” Lance mumbled, lips pressing against the Dreauxee’s neck. “Kolivan left to grab us some food just before you woke up. Him and a half dozen of the Blades are here.”

 

“Godfather is here?” Riyluxmn asked, finally shifting in the Cuban boy’s hold to turn toward him and rest against his shoulder. The smaller finding his mate dressed in an elaborate colored silk top and blanket draped over him, his hair a slight mess. “You’re clothes…”

 

“Dreauxee limited editions.” Came the joke, turning the hybrid’s surprised gaze into a smile and light laugh. “I fashioned you a McClain original, exclusive and impossible to get anywhere else.”

 

A few blinks were directed towards the other, before he glanced down and found the fashioned fabric across his chest. The cloth loose and having moved in his sleep, flashing his chest that was easily fixed when long caramel fingers yanked it back in place from their place around the hybrid’s waist.

 

“It looks better when you’re not laying down. Everything was either way too small for you or too big and your clothes were in shreds.” Lance explained, before Riyluxmn shook his head. 

 

“It’s fine. Just surprised is all.” A hum reached him, before he looked back over to their other mate and his eyebrows furrowed at the elder’s appearance. “What happened to Keith? Did the fever-?”

 

“According to Pidge the fever creeped up on him, he got lost two star systems over, and crashed his ship into an asteroid field.” Lance spoke, frown on his face as the hybrid stiffened in his arms. “She got to him just in time to bring him back in one piece. His ship is totaled though.”

 

“He- oh my god…” Riyluxmn bit back tears while his mate held him close and squeezed him. Face burying into the Dreauxee’s neck and softly breathing onto his skin while the younger trailed his eyes over every visible inch of their mate. “He could’ve…We could’ve lost him.”

 

“Yeah, but we didn’t and he’s going to be okay. We’ll all recover and get him back to the castle and to a healing pod. Keith’ll be fine, babe.” Lance gently spoke as the smaller gave a weak nod. “Just focus on getting better. I’ll do the worrying.”

 

The way his mate’s works came out where soft and strained. The sound making the Dreauxee’s heart clench as he turned back toward the Cuban and Lance lifted his head up from the hybrids skin. The bags under his eyes now apparent while pale purple fingers brushed against them and a soft smile came his way. Exhaustion across the tallers face. 

 

“How long have you slept?” Riyluxmn carefully asked, Lance’s gaze shifting away with a troubled look. “Lance-”

 

“Six hours.” Came the reply, fingers pulling the Dreauxee closer. “Kept waking up every other hour and couldn’t go back to sleep. Kolivan gave up trying to get me asleep after the third time I woke up.”

 

A frown took over Riyluxmn’s face before he got a soft smile. Caramel fingers moving from the hybrids waist to his cheek as the pads grazed his flesh. Lance leaning forward to place a soft kiss against the Dreauxee’s lips that the hybrid easily returned, before someone cleared their throat and they quickly parted. Dual colored eyes shifting toward the noise and finding his godfather standing just inside the room, tray in his hands and an unamused look on his face. 

 

“Godfather.” Riyluxmn spoke in relief as he moved to get up and Lance was immediately by his side helping him. The Dreauxee leaned up against his mate and the both of them still holding Keith’s hand as he slept. 

 

“I’m glad to see you awake and moving, Riyluxmn. You gave everyone a scare.” The man spoke as he walked over to the them and sat beside the mattress on the floor. “Is your fever better?”

 

A nod left the Dreauxee as the man he considered a second father set the tray beside him and handed them two bowls. A soup of some kind in them the pair took without being told to as the Dreauxee watched him. His voice and words schooled, while his posture and body language was tense. A sign he was upset and worried, but wouldn’t voice it. Riyluxmn and his mates were in a bad state and he didn’t want to upset them or their health, but it didn’t stop him from being angry and worried. 

 

“I’m sorry I never called for you.” Riyluxmn softly spoke, both males stiffening and looking towards him, the Dreauxee looking down at the bowl in his hand. “I should’ve, when the princess first separated us, but I was scared and angry. I was all alone without Lance or Keith and all I could think about was them beyond the pain. I forgot I could’ve called for you. You would’ve came for us and we wouldn’t be like this.”

 

Slowly Kolivan relaxed. His shoulders releasing their tension and the stressed look on his face fading. One of understanding and relief replacing it as he calmed, a small smile on the man's face. 

 

“No, it’s alright. It’s a normal reaction given the circumstances of the separation. I just couldn’t wrap my head around the fact such a thing even happened and I was never informed. I would’ve put a stop to it immediately no matter the cost, even if it meant bringing you back to The Blade with your mates and keeping you there. This should’ve never happened in the first place. I’ll be speaking with the princess when you return to the castle.”

 

“Pidge already has you covered there, Kolivan.” Lance lightly chuckled resting his chin on the Dreauxee’s shoulder. “When she took over for you a few hours ago she told me everything and I doubt Allura will even think of scolding us in the future. She yelled at the princess and threatened to kill her and Coran if she pulled a stunt like this again. We’ll be safe from another incident like this.”

 

“I’ll still be speaking to her. This should’ve never happened.” Kolivan insisted while Riyluxmn pulled the bowl to his lips and drank. “It was a miracle in itself that we were able to reunite the three of you in time given the circumstances. She needs to be fully aware of the consequences her actions caused.”

 

“Believe me, she’ll know.” Lance mumbled in amusement, before a groan filled the air. “Keith?”

 

In an instant the Dreauxee was yanking the bowl away from his lips and looking toward his other mate. Kolivan having enough of a brain to take the clay dish from him, before he dropped it, as his dual colored eyes fell on the small Blade. His elder mate’s eyes slowly fluttering open and his body shifting in discomfort, till he winced. The sudden tug in his expression bring the hybrid to his side in an instant as he let go of the half breeds hand in favor to cup his face in between his palms. The pale flesh still hot under his fingertips and the older’s breathing still short, but the fact he was awake was a relief. He was getting better. 

 

“Keith?” Riyluxmn gently called out, violet eyes shifting around for him through his unfocused gaze. “Can you hear me?”

 

“L-Lux…” his voice was weak, weaker than he ever heard it, full of pain and heat. The sound made his chest ache, but he was awake and that’s all that mattered. “Wh-where’s-”

 

“Right here, mullet.” Lance answered, his fingers squeezing the half breeds hand and making the elder relax slightly. “Good to see you awake.”

 

A hum left him, small and clipped, but it was enough. Enough to know he was in the clear if the calmer and relaxed emotions reaching him were enough of an indication. They made it through the worst of it and all they had to do was heal. 

 

“Llura’ is getting her ass kicked when I get back to the castle.” Keith grumbled, ripping laughter from their little group and making Riyluxmn smile warmly down at the male. 

 

“Get in the long ass line, Keith. You’re not the only one.” Lance spoke in amusement, a small smile taking over their elder mate’s face. “Of course you need to be able to sit up, let alone stand to kick her ass.”

 

“Shut it, McClain. I crashed my damn ship.”

 

“Which you’re in trouble for. No more flying under the influence for you.”

 

“God. You sound like Shiro, stop. Stop right now.”

 

The banter continued, light and fluffy as laughter filled the room and small jabs were thrown. Their fevers still present, but with the fact all of them were awake none of them cared. They had been separated from one another for so long they needed this. To talk and laugh and be in contact with one another, pushing aside the fact they needed food and rest to bathe in each other's presence. And through their laughter his godfather quietly watched, throwing in a jab or two of his own, as he smiled lightly at them. No doubt glad the worst was over and there was no need to worry about their lives anymore. They survived and they’d recover. 

 

“I love you both.” Riyluxmn’s words were soft, but he knew they heard him when silence ate up the room and the hands below his moved to squeeze his pale purple hand. Lance burying his face into the hybrids neck and Keith smiling up at him warmly, his godfather glancing away to give them what little privacy he could. 

 

“We love you too, babe.” Lance spoke, squeezing him close. 

 

“We love you.” Keith echoed, warm and full of love. 

 

Despite the torture they went through to be reunited, that felt like they were being dragged to the ends of the universe, right here in this very moment it felt like the beginning. Like they were standing at the gates to an open plain and everything stretched out in front of them was new and full of life. Like nothing could stop them and nothing ever could amount to the hell they went though. They were stepping forward stronger, closer to one another, with a bond that was almost unbreakable. It was a new beginning and they’d have each other every step of the way, no matter how far apart they were. 

 

He’d always have his mates.

* * *

“Wait for us, Riy!”

 

A giggle filled the halls of the temple as footsteps echoed. Swirls of sand following the Dreauxee’s barefooted steps and dual colored eyes glanced back at the pair following him. A smile across the hybrid’s face as he turned back toward his destination. 

 

“Hurry up, Keith, Lance!” Riyluxmn giggled, waving behind him, till he passed through the entrance of the temple and slowed to a stop. “Whoa!”

 

Dual colored eyes widened in awe at the bustling village around him. Dreauxee of all classes moving about the levels of the canyon sides, trading, working, and socializing as the hybrid turned back to his mates and beamed when they stopped behind him. Keith leaning against Lance for support in case his minor fever worsened and dressed in similar clothes as they were. The former Paladin wearing a ‘McClain’ fashioned top of red and black fabrics, his shoulders and arms uncovered, and black pants with a red scarf tied around his waist as a utility belt. Violet eyes squinting against the sun, till his vision focused and he stared at the city just as the Dreauxee did. 

 

“Wow. The documentary is so outdated.” Laughs filled the air between the trio and Riyluxmn grasped his mate’s hands. 

 

“Let’s go check it out. They’ve got all kind of shops.” The hybrid spoke, bouncing up and down in excitement while Lance’s eyebrows furrowed. 

 

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea, Riy.” The Cuban replied grimly, lips turning downwards when the Dreauxee’s ears dropped and he looked at the other sadly. “We came out to get some fresh air and relax. We shouldn’t bother the villagers any more than we already have.” 

 

In response Keith glared at the Red Paladin and elbowed him in the stomach. Lance wincing, but not taking back his statement, while the hybrid gave a small nod in understanding and went to go find a nice spot on the steps for them to sit. Keith and Lance arguing behind him in hushed whispers as the Dreauxee let his wings manifest and he brushed aside some sand with his toes. The younger understanding his mate’s concerns as he found a nice spot and sat down on the steps to the temple. 

 

From what Lance had mentioned, and the Dreauxee remembered from his blurred memories, they weren’t well received when they arrived at the village and when Pidge brought Keith. True to the movie the native Dreauxee didn’t like the idea of outsiders, them, being in the village and tried to make them leave. Between recovering the past few days Lance told them what went down and Riyluxmn had been disappointed. He had been excited to know he was in his mother’s birth place and hoped they would welcome him in with open arms, because he looked more Dreauxee than Galra, but that didn’t seem to be the case. An outsider was an outsider no matter what they looked like. They were only still here because of Lady Veritale. 

 

“Keith!” Lance hissed in annoyance, till the hybrid was pulled to his feet by his eldest mate. “We’re not-”

 

“We’re in Lux’s homeland and you want to sit on our asses and do nothing?” Keith questioned, eyebrows furrowed in anger. “We’re leaving tomorrow, Lance. When are you ever going to crash your lion on Terillix again and get a free invitation by a sand Dreauxee goddess to be in her village? Right, never. So these lizard assholes can quiznak off and let us walk around at the very least. Lux shouldn’t be jipped of this experience. Come on, Lux.”

 

An irritated look fell over the Cubans face as Keith wrapped an arm around Dreauxee’s waist and led him down the rest of the stairs. The hybrid sending the half breed a grateful smile, while Lance threw his hands up in exasperation behind them and followed with a grumble. Riyluxmn wrapping his tail around the Blade’s hips and getting a smile in return. 

 

“Lead the way, Lux. Wherever you wanna go.”

 

The excited smile from before took over his face as he headed for the shops in the town center. Keith at his side and Lance behind them as the native Dreauxee veered out of their path and stayed a distance away from them. Mothers and caretakers pulling curious hatchlings away from him, while warriors watched them wearily and workers ignored them. The hybrid doing his best not to let it get to him as they looked around at the different shops and their wares. 

 

From clothing, furniture, toys, literature and food the smaller looked at all of them in awe and made small comments along with Keith, Lance joining in later. Some of the hybrid’s favorite foods and spices available at a few vendors, along with kinds he’d never seen before, and little trinkets catching his eyes. Riyluxmn keeping to himself instead of approaching stands to ask about them, the vendors glares keeping him away, till they had wandered up to the higher levels of the village and into the artisan district. The population a lot ruder as curtains were closed upon their approach and Dreauxee bumped into them often. Keith holding him close in an iron grip and Lance silent behind them, till they slowed to a stop at a shop who hadn’t closed their curtain yet. 

 

A few stone displays standing in the space to make a shop counter and handcrafted jewelry littering the surfaces. The gems and hand carved metals catching his eye in detailed foreign engravings as he came to a sudden halt and Keith looked down at him, Lance peeking over their shoulders, while Riyluxmn stared. They looked so beautiful, care taken into every piece, and rings were their mass of their stock. Almost all of them had an exact copy as a partner and it intrigued him. Weren’t these kinds of things supposed to be unique and one of a kind?

 

“Wow, look at the details.” Lance spoke in awe from behind him, moving to stand at his free side. “Someone spent hours on these.”

 

“They’re beautiful.” Keith added, while Riyluxmn nodded. The Dreauxee at a loss for words as sound came from further in the shop. 

 

“They wouldn’t be Dreauxee ceremony bands other-” a female voice started, till she passed through a curtain in the back and stared at them in shock and fear. “...wise…”

 

Her voice trailed off to a whisper and Riyluxmn quickly avoided her gaze, tears filling his eyes as Keith pulled him close and gave him a gentle squeeze. She was afraid of him. She had only just seen him and she was terrified of him, trying to decide if she should duck back behind the curtain behind her or chance the threat and close her shop curtain. Did they really fear outsiders that much she couldn’t even speak to them? 

 

“Dreauxee ceremony bands?” Keith asked in curiosity, getting a hushed comment from Lance. “Like for couples?”

 

A deathly silence followed as passersbys continued to bump into them and smack the back of the hybrid’s head with their wings. Lance having to move behind him again to protect him from the assaults and wrap his arms around the teens neck, before the shop keeper finally spoke. 

 

“N-no. They’re for mates.” She spoke, tone weary, as the hybrid lifted his head up slightly to look at them. “They’re presented to one's chosen mate and exchanged during the ceremony to commemorate their future life together and their blessed happiness. It’s a Dreauxee tradition to perform the ceremony before one lives with their mate.”

 

“So they’re like wedding rings.” Lance spoke against his ear, Keith nodding beside them. “Guess we skipped that part.”

 

Another thing he’d never get to experience from his mates culture and his own, because he wasn’t normal. 

 

“Lance, our lives are bound together. We’re way past married.” Keith frowned at the Cuban boy, before the Dreauxee natives footsteps came closer. 

 

Abomination. He nearly got his mates killed because of the blood running through his veins. 

 

“Bound?” Her voice was full of confusion and Riyluxmn couldn’t blame her. 

 

He was an abomination. A freak. 

 

“Yeah, we mated with Riy and his mixed DNA bound our lives together.” Lance spoke up, cuddling against the Dreauxee’s back. 

 

He took away their choice to live without him. To keep fighting the war and go back to their home planet when this was all over. 

 

“With the Galra’s predestined and loyal mate dynamics and Dreauxee’s close and unbreakable bonds and trust the two mixed so if one of us dies so do the other two.” Keith explained, her steps getting even closer. “None of us can live without the others.”

 

Would Keith and Lance even bring him back to earth with them if they survived the war? Or would they stay out in space with him?

 

“Which is why we barged into your village. Someone separated all of us and we were dying. We needed a place to reunite and recover.” Lance finished. 

 

Would the people back on earth even like him? Would they treat him like the Dreauxee were or would they be nicer? Would they welcome him with open arms or would they try and hurt him? C-Could he get his mates killed just for being with them?

 

“Lux?” Keith’s concerned voice broke through his thoughts as he jerked up and tear filled eyes met the half breeds concerned violet orbs. His elder mate’s eyes widening, before a worried expression took over his face. “Lux, love, what’s wrong?”

 

_ I’m what’s wrong.  _

 

“Riy, babe, why are you crying?” Lance spoke in alarm, standing up properly to squeeze his shoulders. “Did I lay on your wings? Do they hurt?”

 

_ No. I-I’ve taken everything from you and I haven’t given you a single thing in return. You’re both stuck with me till one of us dies. _

 

“Riy?”

 

“Lux?”

 

_ I’ve ruined your lives.  _

 

“Y-You were right. This was a stupid idea.” Riyluxmn shakily spoke, tears rolling down his face and his wings retracting. “I-I’m going back to the temple.”

 

Before either of them could speak he slipped out of their holds and sprinted through the crowds, Native Dreauxee leaping out of his way in alarm. 

 

“Riy!”

 

He was ugly, disgusting, a freak against his native species nature and filth to the Galra empire. He didn’t fit into either category. An abomination was what he was. A mutt, filthy. He had stolen his mates free will and had tethered them to him, bound and shackled their souls to his. Not even their lives were their own anymore. He had taken everything and gave them nothing. They couldn’t love him, not really. Who's to say he didn’t make them love him without meaning to. They could feel as if they loved him, but maybe they never really did. Could his DNA do that too?

 

“Disgusting.” 

 

The voice had him halting in his steps, now in the village center, tail falling limp as the Dreauxee around him shied away from him. 

 

“Honey, back away from that!” A female voice spoke in panic as Riyluxmn lifted his head. Brown and yellow eyes falling on a little hatchling looking up at him in wonder and awe. His mother grabbing hold of him and dragging him away from the hybrid. “It’s dangerous!”

 

“But he’s purple mommy.” The little boy argued, reaching out for him. “Why is he purple?”

 

“Monster.” Another Dreauxee spit out. 

 

“You should’ve died in the desert.”

 

“Lady Veritale shouldn’t have let you in the village.”

 

“Unfaithful trash!” A fruit smashed into the back of his head and burst, liquid soaking his back and the top Lance had made for him. The tears spilling over from his eyes. 

 

“Go back to where you came from!” 

 

Another piece of fruit collided with his shoulder and soaked his scales, before the others joined in. Fruit colliding with the hybrids form as a heavy sniffle slipped past his lips and he slowly knelt down to curl up into a ball and wrap his tail protectively around his body. 

 

“Monster!”

* * *

 

“Riy!” Lance called after their mate, moving to go after him till Keith grabbed his arm. “Kei-”

 

“Tell me more about these.” Keith demanded from the shopkeeper, currently leaned over counter from when she watched their mate flee, her calmer gaze shifting to him. 

 

“Why-?”

 

“Keith let go of me! Riy ne-!”

 

“Is there a special way to present one to him?” Silence followed his inquiry as Lance’s jaw dropped and the female Dreauxee stared at him as if he’d lost his marbles. “Do we need a blessing or approval from someone? Do we have to court him or prove ourselves? Can we just ask?”

 

“K-Keith...what are you…” Lance’s voice was full of disbelief as he turned toward the Cuban boy and found a sparkle of hope under the worry for their mate. “R-Riy…”

 

“Haven’t you always wanted your Mrs. Blue Lion?” He questioned back, Lance’s lower lip trembling. “I know we’re not the beautiful alien woman you hoped to marry, but-”

 

“A-Are you seriously asking me to marry you and our mate, who just ran away crying, in a village full of Dreauxee who would rather see us dead, on our mates home planet, because Allura is an idiot and nearly got us killed and stuck in this mess?”

 

It took a few moments for him to comprehend the rushed, wobbly, words before he blushed. Granted this wasn’t his best timing, but Keith was serious. The moment Lux saw the rings he had fallen in love with them and Keith had been prepared to fight tooth and nail with the shopkeeper to be able to buy one for the little hybrid. Their mate loved jewelry and as far as he knew Keith and Lance had never bought him any, Allura taking that rightful spot, and it was long overdue. Couples bought each other jewelry all the time and Lux didn’t own a ring, but when the woman explained what they were he felt his mate deflate beside him and felt his chest ache. 

 

They were the Dreauxee version of wedding bands and Keith just said they were already past the point of marriage. He outright said they’d never need them because their lives were bound together. Their bond was stronger than marriage and death would never do them part. He was such an asshole. How many times had Lance bragged about his future ‘Mrs. Blue Lion’ and Keith just smothered the whole idea in an instant? The Cuban boy had such a big family back home on earth and he had to have been in so many weddings growing up, hoping he’d get to stand under the altar one day and make his parents and future wife proud. How could he be so stupid? It wasn’t just a ring. It was a heavy weight on your finger that reminded you every day there was someone who loved you so much that they wanted to spend the rest of their life with you. This is what Lux and Lance needed. That little weight on their finger that would remind them every day he loved them. Reminded them that love would never change no matter where or how far away he was. No matter if their own kind hated them and cast them aside. That despite their differences in race and species Keith loved them so much and they deserved to know that. 

 

“No.” Lance’s expression faltered and Keith pulled in a nervous breath as he knelt down on one knee in the middle of the artisan district to cradle the Cuban boy’s hands in his own. “I’m asking you, Lance McClain, to do me the honor of marrying me. I’m also asking if you’d do me the honor of presenting our Dreauxee mate with traditional Dreauxee ceremony bands from the two of us, planet and it’s assholish aliens be damned.”

 

There was a moment of silence that followed as the Dreauxee around them watched them in curiosity and Lance stared at him in shock. Then there were tears. Lance’s eyes full of them and he sniffled, holding back a sob, as he nodded. The lanky teen sinking to his knees to wrap his arms around Keith and sob into his shoulder. 

 

“Y-Yes. Yes I’ll marry you! A-And yes I’ll give R-Riy a Dreauxee ceremony band! You have the worst timing, you asshole!” Lance cried, attracting attention, as Keith helped his mate to his feet and searched the lower levels for Lux. 

 

Their little hybrid mate was already reaching the lower levels and gaining speed. 

 

“Are we allowed to buy a set?” Keith turned to ask the shopkeeper, finding tears rolling down her face. “Wha-?”

 

“Of course.” She shakily spoke, her words causing the Dreauxee around them to whisper in shock. “Bound for life…there is no bond purer. How can I tell you no? Pick whichever set you want. Take three rings and use them for your traditions as well.” 

 

“Thank you.” Keith replied, his voice full of appreciation, as he nudged the Cuban boy sobbing against his chest. “Lance, help me pick out a set. You’ve got a better eye for this than I do and it’ll be your ring too.”

 

A heavy sob was muffled against his chest before the Red Paladin moved to look at the rings. Watery blue eyes taking in every detail and stone color, shaking fingers picking up each one to properly examine them, till he pressed a shaking hand against his lips and held the ring out for him. Keith carefully taking the band from him and pulling him close as he looked it over. 

 

The band was wide and black, almost onyx in shade, and it’s carvings where a shining silver. Stars and planets circling the band like a galaxy and a single heavy stone in the center. It’s gem multicolored in blue, violets, and browns. It was perfect. 

 

“It’s beautiful, Lance.” Keith gently spoke as he handed the band to the woman and she gently took it to find its partners and put it in a small decorated stone box that matched it. “The sizes-”

 

“The band will mold to fit your finger. I designed them that way.” She interrupted, holding the box out for him. “Made to fit an entire lifetime.” 

 

“Thank you.” Keith gently took the box and handed it to Lance. The Cuban boy taking it and holding it in a death grip as the half breed dug into the pouch on his waist and pulled out all the GAC bills he had on his person, handing them to the now wide eyed woman. “I know it’s not much, but-”

 

“I couldn’t-” She shakily spoke in shock, eyes on the bills. “That amount is…”

 

Alright, so money here was rare and he just made this woman rich. Good to know. 

 

“I insist.” Keith carefully spoke, setting the small bundle of cash on her counter. “Your rings are going to give me two mates who are going to be happy for the rest of their lives. Just tell me how we give Lux his.”

 

A shaky nod left the Dreauxee as she took the bills and blushed. 

 

“It has to be done exactly.” She spoke, Keith giving her a nod as he nudged Lance and the Cuban boy turned to watch her walk them through the motions. “He’ll know the moment you touch him, so don’t hesitate, and don’t pause through the movements. First…”

* * *

 

“Monster!”

 

The cries and screams blared through his ears. Curses and names thrown at him along with the fruit. The juices and globs of flesh sticking to him like glue, through his mental tirades of ‘abomination’ and ‘filthy’, till it happened. 

 

It started with a distant rumble that shook the ground, silencing the entire village. The loss of angry voices causing the Dreauxee to lift his head up in confusion and look around. Every native tense and on high alert as they gazed up toward the ruin like walls surrounding the village. Another loud rumble followed, then another, louder, bigger, and the rock above the village exploded in dust, dirt and sand. Screams echoed as everyone scattered and a large shape hovered over the village, warrior Dreauxee engaging it in combat along the villages edge, before the rock crumbled under the creature. 

 

At the sight of the creature hurtling toward the ground Riyluxmn quickly got to his feet to find and place to hide. A group of Dreauxee knocking into him and sending him to the ground once more as a hiss fell past his lips and he cradled his wrist. The hybrid pulling himself to his knees as screaming children and yelling mothers ran for the upper levels. Warriors trying to make their way down to the center of the village to engage the oncoming creature while the hybrid pulled himself to his feet once more. The monster impacting with the ground. 

 

Rock exploded under its weight, creating an earthquake beneath Riyluxmn feet as he fell to his knees and cursed. Dust and smoke coating the air as the screams continues beyond the haze and nothing was visible except the shadowed shape of the creature. A wounded groan echoing through the air as it shifted and moved to get to its feet. The thing towering over him as the Dreauxee hybrid harshly swallowed and shakily stood. The creature as least half the size of Lance’s lion. 

 

Oh god. His mates! The smaller was instantly looking behind him in hopes to see through the haze but nothing was visible. The dust still heavy in the air and the screams and yells still too- oh god, Riyluxmn you’re an idiot. Pack link. 

 

_ “Keith! Lance!”  _  The little hybrid called out, squinting through the dust to try and find the ramp that would lead him to the upper levels. 

 

_ “Riy!” _

 

_ “Lux, where are you?!”  _

 

His mates called back, relief flooding the smaller when he realized they were alright. They must’ve still been in the artisan district. 

 

_ “The-”  _ A deep, territorial, growl came from behind him had the hybrid slowly turning to find the creature sniffing the air. The dust starting to slowly settle and the monster shifting toward him. Panic filling him, till the fruit smell clinging to him filled his nose and his heart stopped. Oh god. He smelled like food.  _ “Village center…” _

 

_ “Get out of there now!”  _  Keith all but screamed, the teen jolting with his yell as he stepped back and the monster snapped toward him. The dust and sand finally settling to reveal the huge creature growling at him and smeared in the blood of its victims, eyes locked on him. “LUX!”

 

At the sound of his actual mates voice the smaller harshly swallowed. This thing was terrifying. From the heavy plated armor covering its body to the huge muscles the huge...bear? Was that what Lance called it? It had to be. It looked massive like one, just without the fur. No, it had scaly leather skin like a lizard, heavy plated armor scales, and sharp claws and fangs, walking on two of its four legs and growling at him. It had to be a bear of some sort, mixed with a lizard. 

 

“Teralorfe!” Someone screamed in the distance, making Riyluxmn’s blood run cold. 

 

Teralorfe? This monster was a Teralorfe? These things were one of the top three dangerous creatures of Trillix. Said to tear down scores of desert inhabitants till they could be taken down and he was standing in front of one, smelling like lunch. 

 

“LUX, RUN!” Keith screamed from somewhere above him. 

 

Warriors yelling at civilians to make way for them and no warrior close enough to the bottom to deal with the creature. No one battle capable was close and scores of innocents where in the crossfire. Riyluxmn the only distraction for the beast as of current.  

 

_ “Riy, babe.”  _ Lance called out, voice shaky as the hybrid flexed his scales and found them sticking slightly to his skin.  _ “I’m don’t have my bayard so my rifle is out of the questions. Can you-?” _

 

_ “Lance, are you kidding right now? He needs to get out of there!”  _ Keith yelled over him, before he hissed. 

 

_ “Babe, can you hold out till the warriors can get to you?” _

 

_ “How far are they away?”  _ Riyluxmn carefully asked, gaze focused on the beast watching him in interest. 

 

_ “Three levels up.”  _ Not good. There were fifteen levels to the village and if the closest where in the third the mass of the warriors were even higher up.  _ “I can make out three from here, but it’s not much support. Can you manage?” _

 

A heavy breath left the hybrid as he flexed his scales again and the sticky juices struck to them held them fast. Barely any give on them as the teen lowered himself into a defensive crouch and curled his tail close to him. 

 

_ “I’ll do my best, but you have to let me focus. I’ve never fought before.” _

 

_ “Alright babe.”  _ Lance spoke, silencing Keith’s incoming concern and sending him love and support through the link.  _ “Just be careful and gage it’s movements. Don’t panic.” _

 

_ “Alright. Wish me luck.” _

 

_ “Good luck, Riy. We love you.” _

* * *

Scarlett: *beams* As promised, Keith, Lance, and Riyluxmn have been reunited! *throws confetti, smiling* but of course that's not the end of it. Far from it. We still got a chapter to go and with Dreauxee Ceremony Rings in Keith and Lance's hands and a fearsome Teralorfe towering over Riyluxmn we still got some action ahead of us. So stick with me a little longer. I saved the best for last. *winks, waving* Enjoy the chapter, everyone

 


	5. LIttle Warrior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In all sixteen years of Riyluxmn's life he had only fought once. Granted it was a disaster that left his seven year old self in tears, but it was his only source of fighting experience. Now he's facing one of Terillix's top three dangerous creatures to walk his surface, alone, and weaponless in a village of screaming and fleeing Dreauxee with his mate's luck on his shoulders. And it's going to take all that luck, every scale on his body, and every drop of poison running through his veins to live through this and make it back to Keith and Lance's awaiting arms. Now all he has to do is take a deep, calm, breath and...not fuck up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're pronunciation dicitionary:
> 
> Terillix- (Terra-lix)  
> Veritale- (Ver-e-tale)  
> Dreauxee- (Drea-ux-ee)  
> Riyluxmn- (Ri-lux-m)  
> Deramel- (Dera-mel)  
> Teralorfe- (Terra-lore-f)

In all sixteen years of his life Riyluxmn has only fought once. He had been seven at the time and he could barely even call it a fight. His parents had died just weeks before, a group of Galra foot soldiers had gotten the drop on them during a mission and despite his mother and fathers fighting abilities they never made it home. After their deaths Friedren and and Kolivan argued heavily over training him. His godmother believing it was still too early and his godfather wanting nothing more than for him to be able to defend himself. Kolivan won in the end and they had put him up against a semi-neutral alien creature. The thing so fluffy and cuddly he almost did a double take when his godfather told him to kill it, a Blade knife in his hand and held out to him. He had been hesitant to take it from the man’s hands, and even more reluctant to point it toward the adorable monster, but when it saw the weapon it growled and turned on him. Razor sharp teeth bared and an angry growl barked toward him and in an instant he dropped the knife and ran behind his godfather in a panicked frenzy. Tears spilling from his eyes as he wailed in fear and hid behind the man, trembling and sobbing as the creature came after him and ran around the man’s body. His little seven year old mind fearing the worst, till he had suddenly been lifted off the ground by his godmother and she kicked the monster across the room. It’s little body slamming into the wall and falling limp as she cradled him in her arms and yelled at his godfather for being so reckless and stupid. They argued for weeks after, but in the end Riyluxmn won. He was never handed a weapon after the incident and he never stepped into the field, never having to fight...till now. 

 

The deep growl of the Teralorfe echoed through the air as the little Dreauxee sucked in a shaky breath and waited. The screaming of citizens still echoing behind him, but muffled out as he focused. Dual colored eyes trained on the lizard like bear creature and its movements. Each cautious sway, each rumbling growl, the flexing of claws, the weight against its hackles, and then it growled and lunged. The Dreauxee jumping back and bolting out of the way with a barrel roll, before he dug his bare feet into the ground and slid to a stop. His tail balancing him as the creature smashed into the shop that had been behind him and groaned in pain. Citizens screaming and scrambling away in attempt to save their own lives and clog up the already congested level paths. Riyluxmn shifting his scales again, finding them moving a little further than before, but still very stuck, while the Teralorfe growled and turned toward him. Deadly black eyes falling on him instead of the native Dreauxee escaping. 

 

His attention focused on the sickly sweet smelling hybrid as it growled and barreled toward him again. Huge paws thundering against the earth while Riyluxmn watched its movements. Each lumbering step feeling slower than the first as the hybrid tilted his head in confusion and flexed his scales. The tacky juices finally freeing his only weapons of defense before Riyluxmn let out shaky breath and dodged.  

 

His feet skidding across the ground as the Teralorfe flew past him and the hybrid slammed his hands onto the ground and twisted his body counterclockwise toward his opponent. His scales flaring and a few releasing from his tail as they ricocheted off the monsters armor and clattered to the ground. The creatures black eyes moving to the fallen shells, before it growled and the Dreauxee found himself hissing back without realizing it. His scales flaring out and slowly transitioning to black as they filled with poison. The transformation catching the monsters eyes as it stared at him as if it didn’t know what it was looking at and don't know how to deal with it. Riyluxmn’s color no doubt throwing him off, but the fact he smelled like food urged the thing onwards. 

 

It lunged again, this time it’s claws bared, and the Dreauxee twisted out of the way and grabbed onto its forearm. His own claws digging into the leather flesh and holding fast as it growled and snapped at him. The smaller pushing off the monster's arm and twisting through the air to land on the creatures back, before lifting his tail and slamming it into the meat of the things exposed collarbone. 

 

A terrible roar filled the air as purple blood splattered across the Dreauxee skin and spilled out from around his sharp scales. A clawed hand swatting at him as Riyluxmn ripped his tail out of the Teralorfe’s flesh and let himself drop to the ground. The creature turning on him in rage and coming after him in a frenzy, so when he hit he ground he had no choice but to roll to the side to dodge a well aimed punch and avoid splattering against the rocks. His tail swinging in defense and letting free a few more black colored scales, before he scrambled to his feet and bolted. A cry of pain echoing behind him, before the thundering of footsteps started up again and the hybrid turned back to his opponent. His scales still flared and his mate’s words coming back to him as the Dreauxee hybrid let out a shaky breath and chuckled.

 

Why was this Teralorfe thing ranked in the top three? It was so slow. 

 

Just the realization had the hybrid bolting towards his opponent and surprising it as Riyluxmn jumped and latched onto its arm. The creature jolting and swinging to rip him free, while the hybrid stabbed his tail through the cracks of armor in its flesh and purple blood sprayed through the air. A clawed hand swinging at him as the hybrid grabbed the Teralorfe’s bicep and swung around toward its back. Tail slamming into the first bit of exposed flesh he could find, scales flared, sharp, and full of poison, as it broke through the leather flesh once more and dug his claws into its back. A great howl echoing through the air as it flailed beneath him and tried to throw him off. Riyluxmn ripping his tail out of the monsters flesh only to pierce skin once more and let out a hiss of his own. Lips upturned and a growl in the back of his throat, before the monster wobbled backwards. 

 

The sudden jolt and sway unlodging his tail as the hybrid slipped free and slammed onto the ground. The impact knocking the wind out of him as he groaned and the sound of footsteps sounded in front of him. The huge Teralorfe turning toward him and towering over him as the smaller harshly swallowed and flared his scales. The Dreauxee letting out a dangerous hiss of his own till a flash of black caught his eye. Several of his scales cracked through the creature's plated armor and piercing its flesh as the Dreauxee’s eyes widened and the Teralorfe raised a clawed paw above its head. 

  
  


Riyluxmn quickly rolling onto his back and flaring every scale on his back and tail, as the wind whipping toward him reached his ears and he growled. Poisoned scales flying from his back and impacting against the creature behind him as a wounded, pained, howl and whimper blasted the air. Thundering steps moving backwards as the hybrid rounded toward the creature and bolted for it. At least a few dozen black shells impaled in the creature, while it pawed at them and whined. The monster never realizing he was approaching till it was too late and Riyluxmn was twisting and letting more scales free. The weapons sailing through the air and meeting their target, cracking more of the heavy armor, before he jumped and twisted onto the creature's shoulders. Tail instantly raised and piercing bone and flesh as he drove the still sharp weapon thought the back of the Teralorfe’s neck and spine, cutting off the howl in an instant and sending silence though the air. 

 

The moments ticked on, nothing but an eerie quiet in the air, before the Teralorfe teetered forward and fell. The hybrid digging his claws into leather flesh, before the monster hit the ground and dust flew everywhere. Heavy breaths leaving Riyluxmn as he wrenched his tail free and winced at the horrible squelch that followed. Purple blood splattering over him and his entire body shaking while dual colored eyes grazed over the alien, waiting for it to move, to turn and kill him. A black vein like pattern taking over the creature’s leather flesh, before it's breathing shuddered to a halt and fell still. 

 

The silence still heavy on the air till hesitant footsteps sounded and the hybrid was on the defensive. Scales flared, fangs bared, and a heavy hiss falling from his lips as dual colored eyes lifted and found a group of warrior Dreauxee carefully approaching him. The lot of them halting and raising their hands to show they meant no harm, while Keith and Lance shoved through the villagers on the lower levels and sprinted towards him. A heavy growl leaving Riyluxmn when the warriors edged closer once more. 

 

“Easy, little one.” One of the warriors spoke, coming closer and causing the hybrid to hiss in fear. “Easy, we’re not here to hurt you.”

 

A scoff left the smallers lips as he narrowed his eyes and dug his claws into the creature below him. Scales still raised protectively till a few warriors inched closer on his other side and he growled in warning, a hiss tapering off as they jolted and fell still. More movement coming from his other side as he turned and hissed once more, scales flaring as they all fell still and the warrior from before waved them back. 

 

“We’re not going to hurt you, little one. We want to make sure you're alright.” He tried again, pulling a low growl from the hybrid. “Are you hurt anywhere? Can you move?”

 

Yeah, he was hurt, but he wasn’t going to be sharing that with the native. Not after he had been glared at, ignored, shooed away from shops, called names, had fruit thrown at him, and been shoved to the ground and stuck in this fight. They didn’t deserve a single word from him and he was never going to give them one. They didn’t have enough of his trust to even give them a decent reply. 

 

“Riy!”

 

“Lux!”

 

His mates voices had him turning toward their direction and finding them sprinting towards him in relief and panic. Lance’s eyes full of tears, a small box held tightly to his chest, and Keith’s expression full of worry and concern. The warriors trying to hold them back when they got close enough, before Keith harshly shoved them aside and turned purple in defense. 

 

“Quiznak off, that’s our mate up there.” The half breed growled, startling the warrior when he changed colors and guiding Lance and himself closer. “I’m serious. Back the quiznak off!”

 

The warriors backed up when they saw his mate was armed, his knife in hand, and Lance sprinted over to the Teralorfe’s side to look up at him in worry. The Red Paladin ignoring the warriors trying to urge him away from the fallen beast below Riyluxmn’s feet. 

 

“Riy, babe, are you okay?” The Cuban boy spoke, voice wobbly as the hybrid slowly lowered his guard and gave a small nod. His mates caramel hand stretching out for him in an attempt to reach him on top of the huge beast. “C-Can you come down? You’re shaking, baby. Are you hurt? Were you s-scared? God, you were amazing. You should’ve seen yourself, sweetheart. I should’ve had my helmet with me and recorded it. You moved so fast.”

 

Lance continued to babble, blue eyes full of tears, till Keith reached his side and gave the hybrid a small, strained, smile. His eldest mate reaching his arms out for him. A gesture Riyluxmn gave into easily as his scales slowly flattened and the poison retreated. The small hybrid shifting toward the half breed and carefully sitting against the beast below him, before he slid down and into his mate's arms. Keith catching him and pulling him into a tight, warm, hug and letting out a shuddering breath. The elder’s face burying into his neck before Lance smashed into him and sobbed. The trio slowly collapsing onto the ground as the hybrid ended up in Keith’s lap and Lance was pressed against his back. The warriors watching them in surprise while Keith rubbed his hands up and down the smallers arms in an attempt to ease his trembling and Lance ran his fingers against the hybrids back. 

 

“O-Oh god. Babe, your scales.” Lance’s voice wobbled out, fingers gently grazing against his raw skin and over the few scales he had left. “How many did you use? They won’t grow back properly like this. We'll have to yank them out again. There’s gonna be so many and we won’t be able to groom them till they all come in. It’s going to be so painful.”

 

“You were incredible.” Keith spoke, squeezing his shoulders and moving back to look at him. “You moved so fast and you looked so powerful, Love. I didn’t think your scales could crack armor that thick. You scared the quiznak out of me, but I’m glad you’re okay.”

 

A small nod left the hybrid, his body still on the defensive and his adrenaline through the roof as movement of a warrior to their right caught his attention and he hissed. What little scales he had raising, before Lance was trying to flatten them. Keith rubbing his shoulders. 

 

“Babe, it’s okay. Don’t flare up, you're bleeding.” Lance spoke gently, his fingers guiding the scales back down gently. “Keith and me can handle them if they get out of hand. Don’t strain yourself.”

 

A nod left Keith before the hybrid curled up against the half breed and relaxed. His entire body slumping and his tail falling limp, before gentle fingers were rubbing his sore skin and gently grazing his scratched and bruised flesh. The warriors watching them wearily and in awe while Lance gently examined his back and started to guide the scales starting to grow back into place. Each tug and pull making him wince as they regrew and started to cover his raw skin once more. Keith taking the smallers sprained wrist in his own and rubbing the aching appendage in worry while he yanked the fabric off his waist and started to fashion a wrap around it to at least keep the skin warm till they could get him a splint. 

 

Every warrior in the area weary to move, in case they brought him to the defensive once more, while the villagers were silent amongst the levels of the canyon. All eyes on the fallen beast, bleeding onto the sand and poisoned to death, and the small hybrid and his mates fussing over him. 

 

“I think the scales on your back came in, can you move them?” Lance gently asked as the hybrid shifted them and the Cuban boy tugged on a few, pulling them into place as they finished growing in. “They’re all in place, Riy. You should be able to form your wings. Just don’t move the scales on your tail. We’ll have to pull scales later.”

 

A nod left the younger before he closed his eyes and let his wings manifest. The formation slow and making his back ache, till they fluttered and settled behind him. His mate gently running his fingers along them to make sure they were strong and hadn’t grown in weaker than they should’ve or out of place. 

 

“They’re perfect, Babe.” The confirmation had him relaxing, till hushed words reached him. 

 

“A dual wing?”

 

“He’s not a warrior?”

 

“How did he manage to take down a Teralorfe by himself?”

 

The warriors around them started speaking all at once and Riyluxmn fluttered his wings in warning. Keith rubbing his shoulder to calm him, while Lance curled up behind them. 

 

“Ignore them, Lux. They’re jealous.” Keith muttered, glaring at them and making them step back. “You’re more powerful than them.”

 

“And gorgeous and fast.” Lance continued, cuddling against the back of his neck. “You made that huge monster look like a fumbling fawn. You moved so quick and your attacks were perfectly placed. You looked incredible out there for your first battle. I knew you could do it.”

 

A soft purr vibrated through him with the praise, till the explosion of rock blasted through the air and everyone jolted. Riyluxmn up and hissing, back scales raised, till he saw the smoke coming from the temple and his heart trembled. 

 

“Godfather…” his small voice had his mates stiffening and tightening their hold on him. 

 

“Riyluxmn!” Kolivan’s voice called, pulling him to his feet as he scrambled out of his mates hold and stood. His movement startling the warriors as he sprinted around the dead Teralorfe and into the open. “Riyluxmn?!”

 

“Godfather!” The hybrid called out, till his gaze fell on the entrance to the temple. 

 

The entire front of it collapsed, rock and sand covering it in heaps and mounds of rubble, except for a hole large enough for the people currently being pulled out of it. Hunk and Pidge helping Blade members out of the rubble and Kolivan standing on top of the rock, gaze on the huge Teralorfe taking up most of the village center. His head turning toward the smaller, before he was moving down the rocks. 

 

“Riyluxmn!”

 

“G-Godfather!” The teen was running toward the man before he could stop himself. Sore feet slapping against the hard rock and scales flattening, till he reached the Galra male and flung his arms around him. Huge arms wrapping around him and holding him close as he buried his face into the hybrids hair and let out a shaky breath. “Godfather, you’re okay. I didn’t even think the temple would-”

 

“The sand goddess protected us, Riyluxmn. I was more worried about you.” He spoke, the teen looking past the man’s arm to find sand holding up the hole in the rubble for the people evacuating the temple. “I heard the monster and your mates calling for you. You fought it, didn’t you?”

 

A small nod left Riyluxmn as he stepped away from the man and his clawed hands caressed his face. Fingers brushing and smudging the dried blood on his skin, while his eyes trailed over him for injury. Nothing serious except for his scales, wrist, and a few scrapes and bruises as the man sighed and pulled their foreheads together. 

 

“You won.” It came out like a statement, but the question lingering in its contents was present. So when he nodded the man blinked at him and looked up toward the huge beast behind the hybrid. “All by yourself?”

 

Now he sounded shocked and Riyluxmn couldn’t help but lightly chuckle, nodding and getting a wide eyed gaze from his godfather. The man staring at him in shock and awe, before he was suddenly lifted off the ground and twirled around in the spot. 

 

“You beat a Teralorfe all by yourself. Your parents would be so proud, Friedren as well! We’ll have to find something from the beast for a trophy. Your first kill!” The man seemed all too excited and it had Riyluxmn laughing, while the blade members behind them looked at his trophy in shock. His mates footsteps coming from their other side. “We’ll have to celebrate, my little warrior!”

 

Agreements left the Blade, the six of them coming over to clap him on the back and congratulate him in his first victory, while his mates attacked him from behind in hugs. Pidge and Hunk joining when everyone had exited the temple and Lady Veritale’s sand swirls circled around them. The moment full of joy and celebration, till Lady Veritale turned into her statue form and wedged herself between everyone to cup his face. Her posture full of pride and love. 

 

“Lady Veritale-”

 

_ You did well, my precious little hatchling. _ Her words echoed to the core of his being, full of love and pride for his victory and the fact he got away with little injuries.  _ No warrior could even begin to hope to do what you did today.  _

 

At her words he turned to look at the warriors watching them in shock and awe. Some of them examining the dead Teralorfe, trying to find out how he put it down so easily, while others just shook their head in confusion and disbelief. 

 

_ You deserve a proper reward for your victory, if you’d accept it.  _ Her offer had him stiffening, turning to look at her in shock and worry. 

 

“I couldn’t. I’m not- I can’t- I’m not full Dreauxee.” The way her shoulders hunched told him she cared less of his blood and her offer still stood. Worry flooding him as his wings fluttered and he looked down at his small form. “I’d change, wouldn’t I?” 

 

He knew what she wanted to give him, and as much as he wanted to accept her kind offer he hesitated. Keith and Lance loved their little Dreauxee hybrid, despite the teens doubts in himself, and he couldn’t take away the one thing they liked about him. It was selfish, but he couldn’t. If he couldn’t be small and cute he’d no longer appeal to them and he wanted to keep their love. 

 

“Are you kidding me right now, Riy?” A bop to his head had him flinching and looking back at his mates in confusion. The expressions full of disbelief. “She’s offering you something incredible and you’re turning her down?”

 

It sounded terrible coming from Lance, but it was true. 

 

“Lux, you might never get this chance again.” Keith spoke, eyebrows furrowed. “You have the capabilities and the power and...Lux...Lux, you know we love you no matter what you look like.”

 

“Yeah, you’ll always be our adorable little mate no matter what. You shouldn’t let this chance slip, babe.”

 

In response the hybrid’s lower lip trembled and he nodded, because deep down he knew they were right. He’d never get this chance again if he turned it down now. They’d never be on Terillix again and they wanted him to have this. They wanted him to be able to stand beside them as an equal and shine like no other. They wanted him to be happy. 

 

So when he turned to voice his answer he was surprised to find Lady Veritale already ready and waiting for him. The Dreauxee sand goddess reaching her hands out for his cheeks and her thumbs pressing against the scales under his eyes. Her wings manifesting amongst her form and the sand settled on the ground picking up as everyone around them backed up to give them space and the grains brushed against his scales. 

 

_ Close your eyes, little one. I’ll do the rest. There will be no pain. I promise you.  _

 

With a small nod he did. The hybrids dual colored eyes closing reluctantly and the sound of sand echoing in his ears. The grains brushing against his skin and scales, slowly slithering and encasing him, till there was no sound that reached him. His body slowly heating up, an uncomfortable itch under his flesh, but as promised there was no pain. It just felt as if his body was being stretched slowly, pulled and meshed to fit a new mold. Lady Veritale’s hands still against his face, foreheads still pressed against one another’s, and her love still so very strong. A surge of power flowing through him and settling, till everything disappeared. The itch, the heat, the pull and stretch, and then the sand flew away. Sound returning and soft gasps reaching his ears, while Lady Veritale beamed at him. 

 

_ You’re beautiful, my precious child. Let no other tell you otherwise.  _

 

She let go of him then. Her love and pride in him flickering out like a flame and leaving him to his worry. His mates behind him, and their silence bring dread into his system, as the hybrid harshly swallowed. It taking all his willpower to steel his nerves and turn to them.

* * *

 

When Lux spoke to the Dreauxee goddess Keith instantly knew what she had offered him.

 

The chance to become a tri-winged, warrior class, Dreauxee. 

 

The moment the thought crossed his mind he was so so proud, but Lux quickly turned her down in a panicked voice. His tone making Lance and himself tense behind him and look at him in worry. 

 

Lux didn’t feel worthy enough to take her offer and he was afraid of no longer being loved by his mates. Both ideas were utter shit in Keith’s eyes, but his little mate believed them and it was the native Dreauxee who were at fault. They were the ones that made his mate feel this way with their sharp looks, words, and jabs and it was Allura’s fault that they couldn’t properly comfort him. They had been separated for so long that it would take awhile to build the Dreauxee’s confidence back up in himself. Yet Lance and him still managed to get their mate to take the offer. Lux still looked a bit hesitant when he turned to the goddess, but now…now… 

 

The moment the sand released Lux and revealed the Dreauxee hybrids new form Keith couldn’t help the shaky breath that left him. 

 

He was…Keith couldn’t find a word to describe him accurately. Beautiful? Breathtaking? Gorgeous? Handsome? Hot? Perfect? 

 

Perfect. 

 

Their mate was perfect. 

 

His small little form gone, his height reaching Keith’s, and replaced with lean limbs and soft, strong, muscles. Lux’s skin still a soft pale purple, and his hair a brownish purple, but what changed the most was his scales and wings. Away went the shades of purple and brown scales, and in their place were beautiful blues, violets, and browns. The colors of their eyes, in a range of shades that painted their mates skin like a night sky, and his wings sparkled like stars. Three sets of them nestled into his back as if they always belonged there and their scales practically clear, shining in the light and reflecting the colors of the rainbow as their mate turned to them. Lux’s face a little less softer, but his previous innocence still intact and the blood gone from his skin. No doubt scrubbed away by the sand, but his clothes still stained, every scale Lance claimed needed to be pulled in their rightful place. This form was the one their mate was destined to have since birth and it more than suited him. 

 

He was perfect and Keith had forgotten how to breathe. 

 

Instead Keith took shaky steps toward the worried expression on the Dreauxee’s face and cupped his mates cheeks in his palms, his mouth pressing against the hybrids soft lips in a chaste kiss, before he stepped back to stare into the teens watery brown and yellow eyes. 

 

“You’re breathtaking, Lux.” Keith whispered. 

 

Tears filled those dual colored eyes and Lance took shaky steps towards them. The box with the rings in them still tightly held to his chest as the Cuban boy caressed the hybrids cheek over Keith’s hand and gave their mate one of his purest smiles. 

 

“And beautiful. You look like a night sky, Riyluxmn. J-Just like home.” Lance’s words wobbled near the end and their mate’s ears dropped slightly. No doubt realizing the effect it had on the Red Paladin. “You’re perfect.”

 

Keith nodded along with the taller’s words before Lux tackled them both into a hug and sniffled. Lance making sure not to let the box in his arm jab their mate, while Keith looked down at the stone container and smothered the urge to grab it. While the mood was perfect, the timing wasn’t and they deserved a nice quiet and private place to present them to the new warrior. Presenting them to their mate in front of an entire village of assholish aliens, after their mate could’ve just died from fighting a deadly alien monster, with no help whatsoever, and had been just transformed into a tri-wing wasn’t the greatest setting. He already failed slightly asking Lance to marry him and Lux’s species customs in presenting the rings was specific. He wanted it to be perfect. Just like he felt in their arms right now. 

 

“A-Am I really?” Lux asked, figure trembling as Keith squeezed him close and Lance buried his face into the new warriors neck. 

 

“There’s no word in the universe to describe how beautiful you are, babe.” Lance shakily spoke. “I can barely take my eyes off you, but you’re still our adorable little mate.”

 

The tears in the tri-wings eyes spilled onto his newly colored scales under his eyes and onto his cheeks. A huge, happy, smile taking over his face as he curled up against them and his tail wrapped around the pair. 

 

“Keith is going to be fighting off every alien in sight to keep you safe.”

 

A heavy frown fell over the half breeds face as he sent a look toward the Cuban and grumbled. 

 

“They better leave him alone. He’s a warrior now and he’s clearly taken.” Keith spoke, pointing to their mates scales, and making the pair of them laugh and smile up at him. “What?” 

 

“That’s not gunna stop anyone, Keith.” Lance nudged, getting the oldests’ eyebrows to twitch. “If you thought fighting my suitors was bad, imagine Riy’s.”

 

Slowly the half breeds eyes widened and Lance smirked at him, clearly enjoying his suffering, before his gaze fell on the box against the Cubans chest and returned the smirk. 

 

“Good thing we made an important purchase today.” He teased back. 

 

The blush that took over Lance’s cheeks was perfect and the look of confusion on Lux’s face was priceless. 

 

“What purchase?”

 

“N-Nothing.” Lance stuttered, till dual colored eyes fell on the box against his chest and the Cuban boy wrapped his arms around it to hide it. “Y-You can’t see it till we tell you you can! It’s special!”

 

The confusion on the little warriors face only grew, but Keith took pitying on the Paladin beside him and glanced around them.  

 

“That aside, it looks like we got quite a mess to get cleaned up before we can relax.” He spoke, everyone in their group looking at the destruction and the warriors still examining Lux’s kill. “We’ll need to get the entrance to the temple cleared or we won’t have a place to sleep tonight.” 

 

Soft groans left the Paladins, before Lady Veritale shook her head and pointed above them. Their gazes following her finger toward the highest levels of the village, and the warriors who were moving in and out of what looked like their homes to gather supplies to help the clean up, before she pointed at them and put her hands on her hips in triumph. 

 

“W-We can sleep up there?” Lance asked, getting a nod from the goddess. “But the village warriors sleep there…”

 

And hand gestured to their mate and the Cuban boy fell silent, blushing. 

 

“Oh, right.”

 

A chuckle left Keith as he turned to look at his surprised mates and gestured above them. 

 

“Looks we got upgraded from the temple to a penthouse view.” The twin groans that left them had him frowning slightly. “What?”

 

Lance just shook his head as he wrapped his free hand around Lux and headed toward the level landing. 

 

“Leave the jokes and puns to me, Keith.”

 

“Come on, it wasn’t that bad!”

 

“It was bad.” Hunk spoke up, Pidge frowning. 

 

“Horribly.”

 

“Sh-Shut up!” Keith stuttered in embarrassment, before he ran after his mates. 

 

The pair of them laughing and starting into a sprint of their own, the villagers scrambling out of their way to avoid them, and create panic in the village while Keith chased them. The smiles on their faces more than worth it.

* * *

 

Pure, comfortable, silence.

 

It was a sound long missed for Riyluxmn with everything that had gone on in the past week. From the separation from his mates, the sickness that took hold from it, Lance crashing onto Terillix, the pair being brought to a Dreauxee village in The Sands of Veritale, meeting the goddess of his kind herself, reuniting with his mates, recovering, becoming an outcast, fighting and killing an alien creature no one on the planet could take down alone, and becoming a warrior Dreauxee it felt like he had no time to fully rest. That was till now. In the comfortable silence of their temporary home, gifted to them by Lady Veritale herself. 

 

True to her gestures, the highest levels of the village were for the warriors of his species in case an attack ever came upon the village. It gave them easy access to the entrance to their home and put them right in the heat of battle to help defend their people, and they hadn’t been too pleased with them taking up residence in their sector. True Riyluxmn’s fight with the Teralorfe bought him some respect amongst the warriors, along with Lady Veritale’s public display of his transformation, but they were still weary of him and it was natural. He was an outsider and they were meant to protect their people from possible threats, but they had tried to be respectful when the hybrid and his mates chose an empty den for themselves. 

 

One of their neighbors wives had cautiously peeked her head in to nervously gift them a proper cloth to use as a curtain for their door, before she had dashed off and disappeared. The warrior himself stopping by later to reluctantly deliver a warm meal the same woman had cooked as a thank you for killing the Teralorfe. Their other neighbors had placed food, blankets, clothes, and even a mattress to sleep on outside their door without even bothering to speak to them or bother them, and while their silence bothered the new warrior he let it be. There was no point in making a scene over something so trivial when they’d be leaving in the morning and Riyluxmn currently loved their current setup. 

 

Their gifted mattress had been placed in the center of their den, the three of them deciding dragging the damn thing further back into one of the rooms was too much and was a waste for a single night, and their blankets and few pillows were piled on top of it in a big nest of warmth. Riyluxmn dressed in fresh clothes, crafted by Lance once again and in blues and purples, and their offered food piled up in two clay bowls just within reach. The three of them currently sprawled across the bed, Riyluxmn laying in Keith’s lap, Lance sitting beside the Dreauxee and grooming the scales of his tail, and Keith gently threading his fingers through the hybrids hair. Their curtain door closed, but still letting the cool night air in, and the soft glow of the balmera crystals in the ceiling bathing the room in a soft glow. It was a perfect, quiet moment and he was taking it for everything it had to offer. Letting his mind wonder and enjoying the touch and closeness of his mates. 

 

A soft smile taking over his face when he recalled his godfather’s proud face for his first kill. The way his trained, hard, expression suddenly crumbled to reveal a proud and happy smile for the teen he saw as his very own cub. The way he lifted the little Dreauxee into his arms and spun them around, the joy in his voice, the pride, the sparkle in his usually calm eyes. He had never seen the Galra male so vulnerable in that moment and it made Riyluxmn feel giddy and proud he was able to bring such joy to the man he considered his second father and could make him so proud of him. Especially when Kolivan ordered the other blades to help him harvest the giant Teralorfe of its available treasures and they complied with pride. The seven of them quickly shooing away the warriors, and scaring them off with their presence, as they worked on the giant creature. His packmates carving through its meat and ripping its armor from its flesh in front of the entire village without a single care in the world to collect a proper trophy of his kill. The process had taken most of the day, the villagers working around them to put the village back in order, and by nightfall they had finished. The meat collected and treated for the hybrid poison, it’s armor and scales collected for what Kolivan promised would be Riyluxmn’s very own armor, and its claws, bones, and teeth extracted for weapons and tools. Nearly nothing had been left of the huge beast by the time they finished and their plunder had been safely gathered into the temple, once the entrance was clear, and his packmates had taken up shop in its entryway to guard the treasures. Pidge and Hunk returning to their rooms in the temple as well. 

 

However the pair of Paladins had been quite helpful during the day. The Paladins helping with the cleanup even though they didn’t have to and trying to pry their curious minds into the Dreauxee culture. Their attempts had seemed futile with the green Paladin shooting off one question after another, her voice getting louder and more obnoxious on purpose, agitating the natives around her, till one of the nearby shopkeepers had gotten fed up and shoved several scrolls into her arms as a peace offering to shut her up. Riyluxmn didn’t know what their contents contained, but the way her face lit up when she examined them meant she got what she was after and she was pleased. The hybrid had no doubt in his mind she’d translate them and make him a book to read later, finally helping him fill in all the holes his heritage held. 

 

Meanwhile Hunk had been very adamant about the kinds of food and dishes the Dreauxee ate. The castle cook inquiring about every ingredient and meal they made, which spices they used and when, what was poisonous to them or not, and what they enjoyed as treats. The kind Paladin getting the same treatment as Pidge, till he had gotten frustrated and blurted out he just wanted to know for Riyluxmn’s sake. Hunk going on about how he was afraid to cook something different and accidentally kill the Dreauxee and that he wanted to make him treats and delicious meals like he did for the other Paladins, so he wouldn’t feel left out, till his emotions got the better of him and he was almost in tears. The natives startled by his outburst and tears, before a few mothers had taken pity on him and pulled him aside to give him the answers he wanted. The cook hunched into the smallests ball he could muster on the ground as he furiously typed at the data pad he had pulled out and intently listened to every word they spoke to him. Eyebrows scrunched and gaze focused while he typed in recipe after recipes full of detailed instructions and lists of foods and spices. The Paladin completely useless for cleanup at that point till night fell and Riyluxmn had retreated into his temporary den for the night. His mates already waiting for him with dinner and a before bed cuddle. 

 

Which led him to the present, still relaxed across the mattress with his mates and being gently pampered by Lance’s long fingers. The cream the Cuban boy had been able to fashion from some ingredients he had been able to buy from hesitant vendors making his scales sparkle as he wiped the substance into them and clean. Keith’s fingers still playing with his hair and making lazy braids through their wake, till Lance finally set the bowl of cream aside and wiped his fingers with the rag in his hand. Blue eyes traveling down the Dreauxee’s body and making the hybrid squirm slightly under his gaze, before the Paladin leaned forward and placed a kiss against his lips. 

 

“There, now they’re beyond perfect.” He spoke, leaning back as Keith glanced at their mates work. 

 

“I didn’t think they could sparkle that much.” The half breed spoke in surprise, while Lance puffed out his chest in pride. “No wonder Lux’s scales cracked through the Teralorfe’s armor. Your treatments made them harder than normal.”

 

A small frown replaced Lance’s grin at the elders comment on the Dreauxee’s scales being used for combat instead of beauty, but as always he quickly recovered and scoffed. 

 

“Well of course. Riy scales need to be both beautiful and deadly for combat. Not to mention his poison made his scales heavier. They couldn’t have made it through the armor without it.” He countered, Keith smirking and shaking his head. “Of course the products back at the castle are way better than this stuff. Coran and me made them specifically for Riyluxmn’s scales since each Dreauxee’s scales are different. When we get back I’ll make them really shine.”

 

“Thank you, Lance.” Riyluxmn spoke up, getting a happy smile and flush from the Paladin. “They look really nice.”

 

To prove his point he curled his tail around the taller and yanked him to his side. Lance going with the movement and lying beside him, before his mates looked to one another. The comfortable silence returning, before the pair of them shifted. 

 

“Lux.”

 

“Riy.”

 

Their voices had the hybrid moving to look at them, before fingers brushed against the back of his ears. The sudden touch making him stiffen as his muscles locked up and his brain came to a crashing halt. An emotion he was familiar with crashing and flooding into his system at a rate he wasn’t used to, before his dual colored eyes shifted up towards them and their fingers trailed down the back of the cartilage. Fingertips grazing under the ridge of them and under his jaw bone, the emotion swelling up in his chest and expanding, while their fingers brushed against his cheeks. The touches so soft and gentle it felt like they almost weren’t touching his skin, till fingertips brushed his scales and his eyes widened. Their gazes focused on him, steady and full of love, as their skin gently moved across his scales and their palms settled on his cheeks. Their warmth and love seeping into him while their thumbs brushed over the scales under his eyes and settled there. 

 

The Dreauxee opening his mouth to speak, but his chest so full and his mind unable to comprehend what was going on, that he was left speechless til he saw the small smiles on his mate’s faces and Lance reached for something heavy behind Keith. The clunking sound the object made making the Dreauxee’s ears twitch, before the box from earlier came into view and the Cuban boy sat up to set it in his lap. His movement making the hybrid pull himself up onto his knees, his mates hands still on his face, before he harshly swallowed. The silence turning from comforting to agonizing in the anticipation. 

 

“We wanted to do this earlier, but the timing wasn’t right.” Keith spoke first, his gaze holding strong with the Dreauxee’s and never wavering once.

 

“And I made Keith ask Kolivan for his blessings first. So we followed our traditions.” Lance added, a smile creeping onto his face. 

 

“But we wanted to do this while we’re still on Terillix.” Keith continued. “So…”

 

Slowly Keith’s free hand reached out and rested on the hybrids hip. Fingers sliding out and onto the Dreauxee’s back, before they dipped and Riyluxmn let out a breathless gasp. The half breeds fingertips sliding under the base of his tail and his palm cradling the appendage in his hand, as tears fillied the Dreauxee’s eyes without him willing them to. The emotions swelled so far and deep into his chest it was almost painful, till Lance lifted the lid off the box and revealed its contents. 

 

Heavy tears falling from Riyluxmn’s eyes the moment his dual colored gaze fell on the Dreauxee ceremony bands nestled inside amongst the rich colored fabric supporting them. 

 

“Will you be our eternal bond mate, Riyluxmn?”

 

“Will you be our eternal bond mate, Riyluxmn?” 

 

Keith and Lance spoke at the same time, strong and determined. Their love, pride, and loyalty pouring into every inch on him and nearly drowning him with it while tears spilled from the hybrid’s eyes. His mind nothing but a blank slate as he stared down at the rings in disbelief. 

 

Th-They…they bought him Dreauxee ceremony bands…Th-They wanted to…Th-They w-wanted to…t-to marry him. After everything they went though they wanted to properly marry him, officially. Not by his weird DNA, but by all three of their traditions. Th-They wanted to marry him. They were asking for his hand on his home planet and- 

 

Oh god. He couldn’t breathe. Th-They… 

 

A heavy sob fell past Riyluxmn’s lips before he was flinging his arms around his mates. Keith and Lance’s hands on him never moving, their emotions still flowing through him strongly, as they buried their noses into his hair and waited for his answer. It taking all of Riyluxmn’s willpower to choke back his sobs and find his voice. 

 

“Y-Ye-es! Y-Yes…I’ll be your eternal bond mate.” Riyluxmn choked out, before the tears and sobs took over once more. 

 

In an instant relieved and happy hollers left Keith and Lance. His eldest mate lifting the Dreauxee up off his knees and into his arms as he stood, the half breed spinning them around on the mattress while Lance stood and cradled the box with their rings in it against his chest with tears in his eyes. Soft laughs leaving Keith till he gently set the Dreauxee down on his feet and cupped the hybrid’s cheeks in his hands. 

 

“You said yes.” Keith spoke in slight disbelief, a huge smile on his face as he pressed their foreheads together. “You really said yes.”

 

“Of course he would.” Lance spoke as he moved to their side, wrapping an arm around the Dreauxee’s waist. “The timing was better than when you asked me. How could Riy say no?”

 

Despite Lance’s reasoning, Riyluxmn knew that wasn’t the reason Keith was so happy. Sure it had to be nerve wracking to gather the courage to ask him, let alone buy the rings with how much the natives disliked them, but for Keith this was so much deeper. By asking both of them to marry him, and them accepting, their mate was finally getting the family he always wanted. He was going to have two partners who’d be by his side the rest of his life and if they survived the war Riyluxmn wouldn’t hesitate to give him the family he deserved. The hybrid knew Lance wanted kids, and with Keith’s happy expression the younger didn’t have a doubt in his mind that was his thought process right now. When the war was over they’d have a nice little family, Riyluxmn was sure of it. 

 

“How bad was it?” Riyluxmn asked, sending Keith a smile when he pouted slightly. 

 

“He asked me right after you ran off crying!” Lance exclaimed, wiping at his face and gesturing with his free hand. “The shopkeeper looked like he’d gone insane and he kept asking how we were supposed to give you the rings and then he turns to me and just asks! Talk about impulsive! No romantic atmosphere or anything!”

 

“You broke into tears and fell into my arms.” Keith countered, successfully coloring the Paladins cheeks. “You were crying and accepting my proposal so loud the other-”

 

“O-Okay, I get it!” Lance interrupted, shoving the box with their rings in it into their eldest mates chest and covering his face. “It was kind of romantic given the circumstances, but we really need to work on your impulses.”

 

A chuckle left Keith as he looked down at the box now in his hand and let go of the Dreauxee to brush his fingers against the rings. 

 

“So how do you guys want to do this?” He asked, the pair of them giving him a confused look. “Do you want to wear the rings now or have a ceremony when we get back and things calm down? Or wait till after the war? Or-”

 

“When we get back.” Riyluxmn interrupted, resting a hand over his mates and glancing toward Lance. “We can have a small one with everyone in the castle and the Blade, and when the war is over we can go back to earth and have a proper wedding. Right on the beach.”

 

The way Lance’s eyes filled back up with tears had the warrior smiling, before long arms wrapped around him and the Paladin was crying into his shoulder. 

 

“Oh, Riy! I love you so much! Mama's gunna love you so much! Keith too! She’s gunna make a big feast and my whole family will be there and they’ll be so embarrassing, but they’ll love you!” The Cuban boy babbled on, Keith resting a hand on his back and gently rubbing between his shoulder blades as he stepped closer. “A beach wedding. It’ll be perfect.”

 

“It will.” Keith reassured him. “We’ll make sure of it.”

 

The huge smile that fell over the Cubans face had them returning it in full. The ceremony bands twinkling in the lowlights of the room as they settled back on the bed and curled up in each others arms, sharing gentle kisses and happy tears. The box nestled between them and the three of them falling asleep that way, laying in each others arms till they fell prey to their dreams.

* * *

 

The next morning the trio found themselves still tangled amongst one another as the sun rose. The three of them lazing in bed for a few hours, before getting up and gathering all their offered supplies just before Pidge came to collect them. The green Paladin their only available transport back to the other two lions and back home. However proper goodbyes were due before they left and through this entire ordeal only two people really deserved their thanks, and thankfully they were present when their small group climbed toward the entrance of the village and reached the exit.

 

“Lady Veritale.” Riyluxmn spoke in happiness the moment he saw her and Deramel standing at the entrance to the village. The Dreauxee sand goddess turning into her statue form and flying over to him to caress his face as always, till she saw the box in his hands. The hybrid carrying their ceremony bands and the goddesses figure tensing as her fingers brushed against the box. “Th-They asked me last night.”

 

A glance behind him found his mates still trekking up the ramp with a basket full of supplies for each of them. All their gifts from their neighbors piled into one and whatever purchases Hunk made in another, before Riyluxmn turned back to the sand woman and found her shoulders shaking. A sight that brought concern to his features, till arms wrapped around his neck and the goddess pulled him into a hug. Her love and pride in him spilling into the Dreauxee hybrid, and making him smile, while she cradled him close and her sand brushed against his skin lovingly. 

 

_ I’m so proud of you, my child. I hope you keep this happiness as long as you live.  _

 

“Thank you.” Riyluxmn whispered back, before the sand woman reluctantly let go of him to caress the little warriors hands holding the box. 

 

_ Would you like a gift for your future ties?  _ Came the soft inquiry next, confusing the teen.  _ You may not be able to return, and your mates may want a family, so- _

 

“I-I’ll have to pass on that one.” Riyluxmn quickly interrupted, getting a confused head tilt that caused the hybrids cheeks to lightly color. “As much as I’d love to take the offer my mates and me are in a middle of a war and it wouldn’t be fair to the hatchlings. Plus we’ll need a little time to settle back down again.”

 

A dejected nod left the goddess and the hybrid gently smiled at her. 

 

“But when we decide the time is right I’ll come back home.” His words had the Dreauxee sand goddesses arms wrapped around him lovingly again and his mates reached his side. “Thank you for everything, Lady Veritale.”

 

“Yeah, it’s thanks to you and Deramel we made it through all this.” Lance spoke up the moment he stopped beside the little Warrior. “We owe the two of you a lot.”

 

“You owe us nothing.” Deramel returned, smiling and bowing her head. “We were merely doing what was right. The fact the three of you are back on your feet is enough for us.”

 

A nod left Lady Veritale as she reluctantly let go of him to hug each his mates in turn and return back to Deramel’s side. Her hands clasped in front of her tense, but the rest of her filled with pride. 

 

“Are you sure there’s nothing we can do to thank you?” Keith asked, a small frown on his face while Pidge and the others moved past them to head toward the green lion to pack and settle in for the ride to yellow and red. “You pretty much saved our lives.”

 

“You being alive is reward enough.” Deramel returned, shaking her head with a smile. “It’d be a tragedy for one of our own kin to die in such a manner when it could’ve been prevented, and seeing your happiness is all the reward we need. Just stay happy for our sake.”

 

“We will.” Keith spoke, moving the basket to one arm when the warrior stepped closer to give them handshakes and Riyluxmn a hug.

 

Her touch making him stiffen in surprise, before he shakily smiled and hugged the warrior back. Their separation making his mates smile while she ruffled his hair. 

 

“I wish you great luck, warrior. May your mates and you be happy.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

A nod left the woman before they reluctantly headed for the green lion. Lady Veritale and Deramel waving goodbye as they took off, and everyone returning it, before they were gone and Riyluxmn curled up against his mates. 

 

“I vote we curl up in bed for a week when we get back.” Lance spoke when everyone had settled and soft chatter filled Pidge’s cockpit. “Not do anything unless something Voltron comes up.”

 

“I think Kolivan already has that in mind.” Keith returned, finger pointing toward the Dreauxee’s godfather who was hunched over a data pad and talking to the other Blades. “I don’t think I’ll be doing missions for a good while.”

 

“You better not be. Especially after you crashed your ship into an asteroid field.” Lance argued, eyes narrowing when Keith frowned. “We could’ve lost you without even knowing where you were.”

 

“I was delirious with a fever. It wasn't my fault.” The way Lance’s features faltered for a moment had the hybrid looking at him in concern, but it didn’t last long when the Cuban boy tugged him close for a squeeze. “Besides, at least with missions Lux knows where I am. You guys don’t ever have to worry about where I am or how I’m doing. I’m a call away.”

 

His reply seemed to satisfy the Red Paladin somewhat as Lance huffed and rested his head against Keith’s shoulder. 

 

“I think a cuddle pile would be perfect.” Riyluxmn spoke up, letting go of the box in his lap to take his mates hands. “I missed you guys so much.”

 

Soft hums and smiles left the pair as Pidge touched down and everyone was up on their feet to help move supplies between lions. The Blade helping Hunk move his purchases to yellow, while Lance carried their gifts despite Keith’s protests. 

 

“Hey beautiful! You miss me?” Lance exclaimed, as the repaired lion opened its doors for them and the Cuban boy strolled into the cockpit. The teen setting the basket down to walk to the control panel and run his fingers against the screen. “Sorry I was gone so long, boy.”

 

The way the lions systems purred as they turned on was enough of an indication towards Lance’s forgiveness, as a copilot seat came out of the floor and the doors closed behind them. Their taller mate taking his seat at the controls, while Keith settled into the extra chair and let Riyluxmn sit in his lap. The hybrid careful not to put too much weight on his mates still healing injuries from his crash as they all buckled in. 

 

“And thank you for keeping Lux safe when I was at the castle Red.” Keith spoke aloud, stroking his fingers against the seat and smiling. 

 

“You’re the one that led the Red Lion to me?” Riyluxmn spoke in surprise, getting a smile and nod from his mate. 

 

“I didn’t want you to be in pain while I was there and since Red could ease my condition I knew he could do the same to you through me. It only backfired when I left.”

 

“No, it was more than enough Keith.”

 

“You’re just an amazing boy, aren’t you Red?” Lance teased as he took up the controls and took off. Yellow and green at their sides. “Next stop, Castle of Lions.”

 

“And to Allura’s execution.” Keith lightly joked, getting chuckles from the other two. “How bad do you think Kolivan is going to treat her when we get there? You think he’ll cut ties with the coalition?”

 

“No, godfather wouldn’t do anything that could separate us.” Riyluxmn spoke up, leaning his head against his mates and Keith wrapping his arms around him. “He’ll probably lecture her and yell for a good couple hours and threaten her before leaving. He wouldn’t do anything to harm our bond.”

 

“Speaking of bond, Lady Veritale looked really sad to see you go.” Lance added, glancing back at them. “Especially when you two were talking. What’s she say to you?”

 

A blush covered the Dreauxee’s cheeks and Keith looked at him in confusion, eyebrow raising. 

 

“Lux?”

 

“S-She congratulated us on our ceremony bands and offered us a gift for after we got married.” His words had both his mates eyes on him, Red no doubt asking over piloting for Lance. 

 

“What kind of offer?” Keith asked, before Lance straightened. 

 

“You turned it down, didn’t you? Whatever it was.” The Cuban boy accused, as the hybrid’s face flushed darker. “Riy, why would you-?”

 

“She offered to let me lay eggs out of season, but I turned her down because we still have a war to win.” Riyluxmn interrupted, his face bright red and his mates jaws dropping. “Since I can only carry hatchlings when I’m in The Sands of Veritale and she didn’t know when I’d be back she offered, but I didn’t take it. We still need to finish recovering, heal, and rebond before that can even be an idea. Not to mention we still have the war and it’s a little too soon, but I told her I’d come back home when he decided we were ready.”

 

A heavy silence filled the Red Lion’s cockpit, his mates faces as red as the hybrids, till Keith buried his face into the Dreauxee neck and shuddered out a breath. 

 

“Th-That was...uh...generous of her.” The Blade shakily spoke, Lance nodding and turning back to the front of the cockpit. “Can she really let you lay eggs out of season if you went back though?”

 

“She’s their creator, Keith. She can probably do whatever she wants.” Lance stuttered out in front of them. “She could’ve probably made it so Riy wouldn’t have to even be on Terillix to carry hatchlings if he asked her to. She’s their god.”

 

“No. I’d go back.” Riyluxmn spoke, his mates looking toward him. “Even though the other Dreauxee didn’t like me, I’d go back to see Lady Veritale and Deramel. And to do everything properly.”

 

Nod left the pair, before Keith squeezed him close and the hybrid carefully curled against him. 

 

“Then we’ll have to think about it when we think the time is right.” Keith spoke, Lance stiffening in his seat. “That is if you’d want to.”

 

“I do. If that’s okay with you two.”

 

“Of course, Lux. I’m alright with it if Lance is.” A glance over found the Cuban boy’s face red and him rubbing a hand over his flushed cheeks. 

 

“It’s a no brainer that I’m okay with it.” He huffed, avoiding their amused gazes. “You guys know I love kids.”

 

“And they’d be ours.” Riyluxmn added, looking toward their eldest mate to watch the giddy and excited took fall over his features. “Our own little family.”

 

“Our own little family.” Keith repeated, curling up against him. “That sounds really nice.”

 

“Well don’t get too excited, Mullet. We got a healing pod with your name on it and a cuddle pile that’s long overdue first.” Lance called, making the blade groan. “No arguing! You’re the one that crashed your ship. Healing pod first, cuddles later.”

 

“Yes mother.” 

 

Laughter filled the cockpit after the annoyed grumble and Riyluxmn cuddled into his mate. A huge smile on his face as the Castle of Lions came into view and Keith squeezed him close. 

 

It felt like they had been through and great journey, spanning nearly a lifetime to reunite, but Riyluxmn knew that wasn’t the case. They were back at that little gate, a huge plain waiting for them to explore, and this was only the beginning. They had only just begun.

* * *

Scarlett: *waves, curled up in a blanket* And that's all I wrote for this instillation of the series. *glances off to the side* When I was writing I almost stopped the fic with the last chapter, which had a totally different ending, but I couldn't stop myself from making Riyluxmn into a warrior Dreauxee. His Warrior form was what I originally wanted him to look like, but I had to incorporate the Galra purple into his appearance and had to create him the way I did. *gestures her hands around* So then I created the different Dreauxee wings sets and Warriors so I could give myself an out to change his scales. I loved the idea that his scales would change to incorporate the color of his mates and was originally going to have his scales red, blue, and brown, but I changed it when I wrote this chapter. Red, blue and brown didn't seem like a good color palette and I switched the red out for violet so the color scheme would fit better, then realized he'd look like a night sky and fell in love with it. 

*rests her chin in her palm* And I totally came up with the Dreauxee Ceremony Rings and the way they're presented at the last minute. I was writing and trying to fill space to get to the end of the chapter and the idea hit me, but I hesitated adding it. I wasn't sure if it was too soon or predictable, or if it would feel like I just slapped it on to add more drama and crap like that, but I gave up in the end and decided to go with it. The way the ring had to be presented was tricky though, because I had to figure out how Keith and Lance would manage to get it to work since they're not Dreauxee and I originally came up with the ring presentation movements in my head via Dreauxee and not our adorable Paladins. *starts gesturing again* Originally one hand does the whole behind the ear, under the jawline, up the cheek, and to the scales under the Dreauxee's eye thing to set the mood and send their emotions toward their future mate; while their tail slides under the other Dreauxee's tail base and wraps around them to pull them close, to show their unwavering support for their mate, before they present the rings and ask them to be their 'eternal bond mate', but Keith and Lance don't have tails so I had to figure out how to get it to work. In the end I let Lance hold the rings, since he's the one that support the both of them and usually keeps them in check and happy, and Keith use his hand to hold Riy's tail, since he's the 'dominate' one of their relationship and is their support and strength, instead of wrapping an arm around him, and went with that. *shrugs* But anyway, I'll quit blabbering now.

*sits up straight* As for what'll happen next, I kinda figure you guys want to see them get married with their friends and the Blade present right? *rubs the back of her head* I mean, I didn't put it in this fic cause it'd be another few chapters and It'd take longer to finish and set up and I didn't want to not be able to post anything for more than a week. Not to mention I wasn't going to let them get married on a planet full of assholish aliens, even if Lady Veritale would've loved to see her precious child get married, so if you want to see the ceremony let me know. I've got an vague idea on how I'd set it up, with a little drama sprinkled on top, and all that jazz. *shrugs* Just say the word and I'll put some time aside to write it. If not I'm open to ideas for what you guys wanna see. Whether it's a mission gone wrong, sickfic, hurtfic, one of them gets captured, a daily slice of life on the ship fic *shrugs* Whatever you wanna see let me know. Just don't attack me all at one. *clears her throat* Anyway, I apologize for the long author comment. *bows* I hope you guys liked the fic. 

 


End file.
